Having its share of inflations
and troubles
the boardwalk remains–
a sunny segment of community beach funk.
Too many sunglasses, incense sticks and Tibetan imports,
more rollerbladers than rastafarians or surfers.
Around one corner a palapas set, built for a movie,
Over there jugglers and musicians perform.
No muscle beach, the bodies are normal and flawed.
A red-billed, black-legged gull
reigns over it all,
laughing.
1/10/03
Daughter Ariel is living near the Venice boardwalk. Recently, she and I took a bike ride along this marvel of Southern California diversity. Later, we went to the Venice Library to determine that we’d been treated to the perspective of a Heermann’s gull.
