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by Tiny Brown paper leaves bounce against an asphalt sky Send me your love…love..love…love… I stumbled down my street in the heart of the Tenderloin last night. It was 1:30am and the street was soaked in that odd California-night-quiet. I had been searching for at least 20 minutes for a legal parking space, giving up only when I was too tired to look any longer and almost ran into a police car in the process. In the end, out of pure exhaustion I settled for the least conspicuous illegal space that I could find, silently computing the addition to my long list of community service "time" I already owed for previous tickets. Send me your love…yeah yeah As I walked further down the street I heard music…well it wasn’t music exactly – more like derivative electronic drum beat ala 90’s gym music reaching out of a very small radio speaker. At first I just heard it, a small smile creeping into the corners of my mouth, thinking it was really somehow floating through my mind, attached to a passing car or out of someone’s apartment window, and then I saw him Fingers extend up- pushing wind and sky aside A man moving his limbs through the cold, black night. With each thin strain of rhythm there was a sweep of pink flesh –barely visible- Back bend..right leg extension Up – step ball change…arms uP – up When you’re walking in the sky heaven’s holding hands with me…..so you better learn to fly - I’m happy just to be… I watched for only a second – my tired eyes feeling his pure unbridled hope if only for a second that everything is fixable if you can move to it… remembering my own ability to dance my way out of anything, eviction, homelessness, a bad day at the low-wage job – remembering that magical power of rythm itself as it rolls through your discouraged body – the rush of endorphins – the thrill of the crowd – tonite would be your night – everyone would be watching you – …Step ball change Up Fly. And then I saw them – the Florescent beams cutting through the darkness. The most dangerous kind of stage lights a dancer could feel - I’m happy just to be……..the music continued to scream Step ball change..curl…step UP…fly….. But you know something just wasn’t right The lights lingered too long – slicing his body in half, "POLICE – YOU NEED TO MOVE NOW , THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY" the machine-like voices boomed out of a black unmarked ford sedan When you’re walking in the sky heaven’s holding hands with me…..so you better learn to fly - I’m happy just to be… The lights moved into the small doorway of the abandoned office, encompassing the movement, squashing the hope, breaking the rhythm, covering the light so you better learn to fly |
Original Post Date
2003-11-03 12:00 AM
Original Body