balboa park february

"Dedicated to Ken Adelman
For his insatiable quest for learning
and his devotion to teaching
by Nancy & Alan Spector & family
'I say there is no darkness
but ignorance' 8/29/01 Twelfth Night"

(sign stuck in ground next to my bench in front of lowell davies festival theatre balboa park san diego)

two owners of two boxer dogs, dogs pull leashes
owners extend hands to dogs
not each other

magician had a crowd of 5 then a
crowd of 40 a few minutes later
doing tricks with big silver hoop rings
the children squeal & rock back on their
thick rubber soled tennis shoes

old old old people one with a walker
with two legs of the walker topped
with tennis balls to ease the skid
they must've been together
70 years by now what's left to say
sunday at the zoo go home take your
pills sleep dream of antelope & owls

older people still get dressed up
still wear "nice clothes" out in public
to museums & theaters
it must pain them to see the rest of us
maybe it makes them feel prouder

families everywhere huge bald headed
babies in strollers on laps on the grass
passed from arms to arms
if you catch their eye they see to
the bottom of you & look away

eighty degrees winter in san diego
please leave me be swingin grandpa with
kid in stroller i'm not interested in
conversation i'm just waiting for
a show to start