It All Comes Out in the Wash (part I)

Original Author
root
Original Body

Ken Moshesh’s narrative through homelessness, police harassment, legal challenges and the laundramat

by Ken Moshesh

ODE TO LANGSTON




UNSEEN

ARE THE DIVERSE FACES

OF MY HOMELESS AND AT-RISK

PEOPLE

STILL CLOAKED IN INVISIBILITIES

OF

SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL, COLD

WAR

DENIALS AND FEARS

PASSED DOWN THROUGH

PAEENTINGS AND NIGHTMARES

OF PAST AND POSSIBLE

DEPRESSIONS

VEILED IN PRESENT

INSECURITIES AND OBLIGATIONS

DEEMED NECESSARY TO PREVENT

THE NON-BEHOLDER FROM

BECOMING THE BEHELD.

STEEPED IN SELF-SERVING

NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES

DEMOCRATIC PROCLAMATIONS

RATIONALIZING

LOFTY, POSITIVE,CONCEPTS

FOR WHICH WE HAVE KILLED.

AND NOW, FAR TOO MANY

WHO RISKED ALL TO KILL

FOR THE CAUSE

ARE ALSO RENDERED

HOMELESSSLY MISSING IN

ACTION
B
Y THE UNNECESSARY

UNREGULATED GREED

OF A FEW.

BLIND ARE THE TUNNEL

EYES

OF THE ABUNDANT SOLUTIONS

TO THE BEAUTIFUL HUMAN FACES OF

MY HOMELESS AND AT-RISK PEOPLE

WHO ALSO

BARELY SEE EACH OTHER

AS THE NATION STRUGGLES

TOWARD HOMELESSNESS

RECOVERY

K MOSHESH 3/00

THE WARM MORNING OF MARCH 21ST FINDS ME LEAVING MY USUALLY- ONCE- PER WEEK INSIDE SPOT EARLIER THAN USUAL. SINCE THIS IS ALSO THE DAY I WASH MY CLOTHES, SOILED FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHTS’
OUTDOOR ABODES, MY STEPS PASS THE ADJACENT, NOW DORMANT, MOTELS AND TAKE ME TOWARDS THE AREA LAUNDROMAT.

THE PROPRIETOR GREETS ME ON THE WAY OUT AND DISAPPEARS INTO HIS ACTIVITIES AS MY DOLLAR BILL VANISHES INTO A HANDFUL OF COINS. I CAREFULLY DROP THE CORRECT AMOUNT INTO THE RIGHT SLOTS TO BEGIN THE WASH... SOAP IN THE BOTTOM, CLOTHES ON TOP, SELECTION DIAL TO NORMAL INSTEAD OF PERMANENT PRESS... “AT LEAST THE CLOTHES WILL BE CLEAN FOR MY DAY IN COURT,” GIVES WAY TO THE SOUND OF THE INCOMING WATER FILLING THE VACUUMS.

I HOPE SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY MIGHT COME SHOW UP, JUST IN CASE SOMETHING GOES WRONG LIKE LAST TIME AND I END UP IN JAIL. THAT WAY I COULD LEAVE MY STUFF WITH FRIENDS INSTEAD OF HAVING SELECTED ITEMS CONFISCATED (LIKE MY BOOK ON HOMELESSNESS, COBBLESTONING QUICKSAND MAZES, WAS DURING MY LAST ARREST). I OPEN THE TOP LOADER. THE MACHINERY STOPS ALONG WITH MY THOUGHTS AS MY FINGERS CHRONICLE THE COLDNESS OF THE WATER. ANOTHER PATRON COMES IN, ALSO LOOKING FOR THE MANAGER, AS THE IMPENDING 9:30 COURT TIME SLAMS THE LID SHUT.

WEARING MY SEMI-CLEAN APPAREL, I AM GREETED IN FRONT OF THE BERKELEY SUPERIOR COURT, RIGHT NEXT TO THE BRAND NEW BERKELEY POLICE DEPARTMENT, BY A CHARACTER DRESSED IN MANY THINGS. THE MOST NOTABLE OF THESE ARE AN OLD TRENCH COAT AND A COLORFUL BANDANA AROUND HIS FOREHEAD. “THEY CALL ME THE ACE OF SHADES,” GESTICULATES MY HOST AS HE ATTEMPTS TO OCCUPY AS MUCH OF THE WALKWAY LEADING TO THE COURTHOUSE AS HE CAN. MEANWHILE, POLICE OFFICERS ENTER IN AND OUT OF THE POLICE STATION AND COURT PERSONNEL IN AND OUT OF THE COURTHOUSE NONCHALANTLY.

NOTICING THE DAMPNESS INSIDE MY COLDLY WASHED JACKET POCKETS, I WALK OVER TO THE GRASS IN FRONT OF THE COURT BUILDING TO A STRUCTURE THERE, AND PLACE MY TWO HOUSE PACKS ON IT.
THE ACE OF SHADES THEN WALKS BY, KICKS OVER A CONTAINER OF LIQUID ON THE GROUND NEAR ME, AND BACKS UP QUICKLY, APPARENTLY THINKING THIS SPLASH WOULD RESULT IN THE TYPE OF ATTENTION HE DESIRES. EVEN THOUGH THE MARTIAL ARTIST IN ME OBJECTS, THE PART OF ME SEEKING TO CHALLENGE THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE LODGING LAWS THAT OCCASIONED MY RENDEZVOUS WITH THE ACE OF SHADES BEFORE MY UPCOMING APPEARANCE IN COURT TODAY (TO KEEP FROM GOING BACK TO JAIL FOR SLEEPING OUTSIDE) IS VICTORIOUS.

ONE BY ONE, FIVE WELCOMED ASSOCIATES ASSEMBLE ON THE COURT HOUSE LAWN, WITH ANOTHER TWO ,OSHA NEUMANN (ATTORNEY AT LAW), AND JULIE CHI, UC STUDENT YET TO COME. LISA GRAY-GARCIA (AKA TINY), PROJECT DIRECTOR/ CO-EDITOR POOR MAGAZINE; DARREN NOY LEAD,COMMUNITY ORGANIZER BOSS; MICHAEL DIEHL, BERKELEY FREE CLINIC ETC.; CHARLES AIKENS, POST NEWSPAPER GROUP; AND VIDEOGRAPHER ALDO ARTURO DELLA MAGGIORA CONVENE, MAP
STRATEGY, CONDUCT INTERVIEWS, AND VIDEOTAPE FOR BOTH THE COURT CASE AND OUR OWN MEDIA COVERAGE.THE ACE RUNS AHEAD AND OPENS THE COURTHOUSE DOORS ATTEMPTING TO ANTICIPATE AND BE INCLUDED IN OUR CAMERA SHOTS.

INSIDE THE COURTHOUSE, DISCUSSIONS AND INTERVIEWS CONTINUE. WE ARE GRANTED PERMISSION TO VIDEO TAPE IN COURT. THE PUBLIC DEFENDER, GREG SYREN, AND OUR LEGAL ASSOCIATE, OSHA NEUMANN, JOIN IN OUR CONTINUING COMMUNICATION CIRCLE.

FINALLY THE PUBLIC DEFENDER IS CONVINCED TO ASK THE JUDGE FOR A LEGAL HEARING TO CHALLENGE THE LODGING LAW, AND THE HEARING ON THE ORIGINAL PETITION TO REVOKE PROBATION (FOR LODGING). THE JUDGE GRANTS THE REQUEST AND SETS THE 12TH OF APRIL AS THE NEW COURT DATE FOR BOTH MOTIONS.

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