Outer-Sider

 

As i coast the slope of the street 

I look toward the sunset

I try to find the street between the stop signs

I’ve circled the blocks where the parking is free

where I can see the water just as I crest the ridge

along the muni track I see a block 

Where I can get a good cup of coffee

Where I can still get a meal under $10, cash only please

And that one place where owner has become my friend

I see a new store has opened that sells nothing I can afford

I see a small brewery that I like despite gentrification

Give me a cafe where the special is served on Tuesday

Give me a movie theater with a neon marquee

Give me a bar where the jukebox still takes quarters

I can’t afford to live there but visit often

comfort is a deep breath of salted air