Silent Poetry Day
Today is blogger's silent poetry day. This is in honor of the Feast of St. Brigid or Groundhog's Day.
I am a native of Los Angeles, so today I would like to honor a Los Angeles poet and fellow fiber artist, Faith Landsman. She posted this poem awhile back on her blog. Faith grew up over the hill from where I did, in the San Fernando Valley. I think she captures the Valley perfectly. Thanks, Faith!
Ode to the San Fernando Valley
Smog like the cheese on a French onion soup
Unfolds toward the San Gabriel hills
As porn is created in Chatsworth homes by folks on cocaine and pills
It's 95 degrees on March 13th
The river cracks and dries
Michoacan taco stand aromas fill the air in Sunland, Pacoima and Van Nuys
While Encino puts its sunglasses on
And prepares for the looming quake
Night jasmine creeps in over the 101 making my native heart ache
My relationship with the Valley is queer
I was born here and here I am surviving
My greatest wish for this whole damn place was that stupid people would stop driving
---Faith Landsman
I am a native of Los Angeles, so today I would like to honor a Los Angeles poet and fellow fiber artist, Faith Landsman. She posted this poem awhile back on her blog. Faith grew up over the hill from where I did, in the San Fernando Valley. I think she captures the Valley perfectly. Thanks, Faith!
Smog like the cheese on a French onion soup
Unfolds toward the San Gabriel hills
As porn is created in Chatsworth homes by folks on cocaine and pills
It's 95 degrees on March 13th
The river cracks and dries
Michoacan taco stand aromas fill the air in Sunland, Pacoima and Van Nuys
While Encino puts its sunglasses on
And prepares for the looming quake
Night jasmine creeps in over the 101 making my native heart ache
My relationship with the Valley is queer
I was born here and here I am surviving
My greatest wish for this whole damn place was that stupid people would stop driving
---Faith Landsman
Labels: Blog Stuff, Los Angeles
posted by Ellen Bloom @ 7:39 PM
3 Comments:
Love Faith's poem--as you say, she has "captured" THAT Valley perfectly! As a long-time resident of that OTHER Valley, I know I'll never achieve the status of "native" but after all, I am the mother of a clutch of 5th-generation natives and grandmother to several 6th-gen natives. That ought to count for something??
I might have to put on my poetaster hat and see what I can come up with for Day-After-St. Brigid's Day.
this Valley girl is laughing out loud.
this gave me a good laugh too.
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