I stuffed my pockets full of California minutes,
Set out from Bakersfield before the break of day.
Checked out a waitress at a coffee shop in Needles
Then blew through Flagstaff on my way to Santa Fe.
Cut loose and rootless, making random left-hand turns
Straight razor whiskey, gotta love the way it burns
Pulled up at Pueblo for my ration of tequila
Long after hours in the Garden of Repose.
I paid my lady love a call in Carson City,
Got tanked in Reno with a Sacramento rose.
Street lamps and neon on a warm midsummer’s night
Drawn toward the tunnel at the end of so much light
Broke bread in Stockton with a Guatemalan dancer.
Shook down a flop house called The Shady Rest Motel.
Laid low in Fresno for the balance of my paycheck,
Got back to Bakersfield in time to raise some hell.
I’m gonna ramble till the swallows leave for Egypt.
Gonna ramble till the Happy Prince goes blind.
I’m gonna ramble till I’ve gathered up my troubles.
Gonna ramble till I’ve left ‘em all behind.
Might put my suitcase under the bed,
But I always leave it packed for later.
Categories:
bakersfield, travel,
Form: Lyric
Sam dated Sandy, things were fine and dandy
Born into middle class means, they were killing that high school scene
One afternoon in Sandy’s bedroom their play went all the way
And the Angels wept that day
Sandy felt that they would marry, though Sam soon had his eye on Sally
Now Sam chased Sally, soon after that it was Allie
Sandy, Sally, and Allie; to Sam they were no more than tallies
And the Angels wept at this reality
Now across the nation, we can find these relations
Occurring in high schools from Bangor to Bakersfield
Thus, today another voiceless soul was ripped away as a right
And the Angels will weep again tonight
Categories:
bakersfield, bereavement, betrayal, hate, mental
Form: Free verse
Nude - descending a staircase slowly
San Francisco Bay through the plate glass
Fog horns telling each other, "Beware"
To this world I was given a pass
I sat on the dock in sailor's gear
When she approached from the starboard side
She was lovely in a broken way
And her eyes held tears she could not hide
We spoke of weather and starlit nights
City behind us, moonlight ahead
We shared a closeness as if old friends
Our guards came down with the things we said
"Come home with me," was spoken softly
"Of course" said I with an easy smile
We walked toward the lights arm in arm
Grateful to have our own special while
My mind raced quickly reading the clock
How to get to Bakersfield in time
I could hop the midnight freight I thought
Be at my desk by the starting chime
For I was a dullard in real life
Looking for time in a better place
And, oh, I had found it, my good friend
Nude - descending a spiral staircase
10-8-19
Contest: Nude - Descending a Staircase
Sponsor: John Lawless
Categories:
bakersfield, journey,
Form: Rhyme
Road Scars
Where we’ve been in our trusty old car
Leaves a tale it can tell
From the dirt that graces the trailer hitch
To the mud in the fender well
Entrails of bugs on the windshield…
Bugs of every kind
Heaven knows that we all know…
The last thing to cross their mind!
The blossoms of Bakersfield
The dirt from an unpaved road
From Buttonwillow to Oil Patch
The dust clouds just explode!
The nicest car on the brightest day
Rolling down brand new road
Is never a match for a well primed dove
Ready to drop his load!
So our car is a canvas on which is painted
The places we have been
It bears the marks of low hanging branches
Etched into its tin
We also have a past
That’s visible to trace
All the mud we have been through
Is etched upon our face!
David Kettler
Categories:
bakersfield, adventure, life, stress,
Form: Rhyme
The spiral staircase made her high heels sing.
San Francisco's nights treated her that way.
Sophisticated vacation each Spring -
Nothing seemed as romantic as the Bay.
She met him on the wharf one moonlit night-
Pretended to be one of high fashion.
Her vacation spent in fantasy flight,
Wrapped in her dreams and his intense passion.
From here the City churches pierced the mist
And foghorns warned of danger in the Bay.
She would think of the times that they had kissed,
And not tell him that she was from L.A.
He opened her laptop, looked under "Freight" -
He could hop a train almost anywhere.
Now he could be in Bakersfield by eight.
He closed it, and, now smiling, crossed the square.
5-10-18 for contest one , nine and sixteen...for Viv Wigley
Categories:
bakersfield, fantasy,
Form: Quatrain
“KEEP YOUR PITY”
think nothing of it.
I have no regrets.
my life is where I want it to
be.
can you say that?
give your pity to those who
*****.
to those who change their
lives to style like the
furniture in their homes.
trashing their soul to make
others happy and retrieving
it again and again.
their rain is dropped by
their hand.
keep an eye for them.
the word “respect” is in
their blood.
stand clear of the birds that
brag freedom while dropping
**** on your head and flying.
these people follow the mold
they are made from.
think nothing of the trials
in my life or how I handle
them.
deep inside the isolation,
there is peace.
isolation is true love.
I am the rotting banana that
hangs.
I am the screw slowly
reversing out in a pair of
glasses.
I am the man who inhales
the reality in Bakersfield.
I am the man drinking diet
coke and eating a piece of
left over pie just to throw
the box out.
keep your pity.
God created the world in
seven days.
you’re going to need more
than His strength to break me.
By: Chicano Eddie
10-3-2016
Categories:
bakersfield, beautiful, freedom, god, inspiration,
Form: Free verse
“A POEM AT 10:43 PM”
if you don’t leave
anything,
if you write dull ****,
it doesn’t matter what you
die from.
you gotta leave words
behind.
place me in the oil fields
of Bakersfield
and
watch me
die
before
my death.
By: Chicano Eddie
9-23-2016
Categories:
bakersfield, planet, poems, poetry, poets,
Form: Free verse
“BAKERSFIELD: 9-17-16”
it’s hot tonight,
the palm trees stand still
and
I’m stacking close to my
one hundredth poem
after my first one hundred
were taken by that
dirty whore.
the color of love dissolves
into another
and
I can’t complain at the
moment.
By: Chicano Eddie
9-17-2016
Categories:
bakersfield, anger, betrayal, city, life,
Form: Free verse
She told it this way.....
He said...San Francisco......
Then up to Mendocino
I said...can I go
He said...I guess you can
'Cause, long since Albuquerque
That's when he first hurt me
My heart's dying to divert me
To the promised land
And...oh, the nights are long
When you're playing tag along
And this old heartache..hanging on
Is getting out of hand
'Wish he would turn this car around
California...feels like shaky ground,
Why is it always one more town
To the promised land
Silence speaks behind the wheel
A change of plans....to Bakersfield
Where Merle Haggard got the feel
Of the lonesome legend man
"Can't say I'm having fun
In this California sun
But,I'm praying for another run
To the promised land
And...oh, the days are cold
When empty's all you've got to hold
And chase love down another road
'So hard to understand
This oak just ain't gonna bend
Maybe, as the story ends
I'll catch another poet's pen
To the promised land
Protected by Copyright All rights are my rights!
Categories:
bakersfield, conflict, confusion, desire, journey,
Form: Lyric
Many a tribute is written
Only the writer knows why
The reason I'm writing this
He could have been goodbye
This Bakersfield boy
Smith Corner he graced
To lose his mother at 4
A young soul misplaced
Loving Grandparents
Filled an empty void
For the loss of a parent
Internal destroy
High School reached
Hooked on drugs
Degenerating body
Societies bug
He ended up here
And also there
To the age of 41
In hazed stare
An Angel was released
To look after her son
As he rose from his prayer
His new life begun
Then came the day
A son was reborn
In a town called Willows
The end of his storm
Another two Angels appeared
Michaela and Antoinette
His future path laid
All three, truly set
Mr Michael Jordan
I think your grand
You help your past
Now that's a stand
A leader, a gent
Poet and dude
To shake your hand
I wish i could
My tribute to a wonderful person whose life story always moved me.
Categories:
bakersfield, inspirational, lifelife, tribute, drug,
Form: Rhyme