Panama Lane Palazzo

Driving east
across the hot, dusty
border between south Bakersfield
 and its industrial agricultural heartland
Dairy farms, cotton gins
and housing developments still
reeking of sawdust and drywall paste.

The Who come on the radio
Eminence Front
as Roger Daltry started singing
a flock of ravens exploded into the sky
like musical notes bursting
against the scale
of telephone wires and powerlines
in a pale summer sky.

Going to meet my friend
living in a former mansion
turned into sober living facility
no job, no car, no family
just a cot, 3 hots, a probation officer and
a shit load of legal bills

Pulled into the former Panama Lane Palazzo
found him in the dining room
an embarrassed smile on his face
gave him a brother hug and
shook his hand,
shared a couple of cups of coffee
(his hands had stopped shaking)
till dinner time

when he had an appointment
with the evening's pots and pans.
when Party's over nowhere to go but up
or down.
Never saw him again
there or anyplace for that matter.

Capitano Tedeschi

30

Panama Lane Palazzo copyright 17 December 2013 by Jamie Jacks