California Dreamin’ by Sheree La Puma

I think about today, how my life is detouring.
Tripping, can’t catch my breath. Stranded
in LaLa Land, a mile from the beach.
So close,
I think, to erasure.

I do what comes naturally, take a seat
at the bar. Some hamburger joint
in Playa Vista. The bartender
serves up god,
& Hangar 24.

He’s writing - a screenplay, wants some mojo,
some of what I have, after hours.
Across the bar, blond girl, blond boy
awkward date, nervous
chatter.

He pulls out a chair, lowers his eyes. Her face
has a this could be it look. He would make a
great waiter. In the age of Tinder, Grindr,
Fuck Buddies not
buying it.

A decade or more ago, you did this for me.
You were drunk. I was drunk, Kamikaze
shooters, You drove into a blizzard, I
waited at the hospital
for 5 days.

Now I keep to California, craft beer & sensimilla.
Living in a matrix of beautiful; people.
Everyone wants to be somebody &
I have a great
Imagination.

Sheree La Puma is an award-winning writer whose personal essays, fiction and poetry appeared in such publications as Burningword Literary Journal, I-70 Review, Crack The Spine, Mad Swirl, The London Reader, Gravel, Foliate Oak, and Ginosko Literary Review, among others. She received an MFA in Writing from California Institute of the Arts and taught poetry to former gang members. Born in Los Angeles, she now resides in Valencia, CA with her rescues, Bello cat and Jack, the dog.