songs of the sumday
fossilized frames
vibrant virgin alpine dawn
auburn splendor glow on tips of trees
as rugged east bay ranges roam
gold nugget color coated grizzlies
nonchalantly as Gaea intended
with top of food chain tempered regalese
/
sea otters and Ohlones
gather by their long shared shore
to meet the missionaries
anchored like conquistadores
crossed crusader warrants
painted ‘cross sails billowed by the breeze
/
thirst and lust as northern stars
guide ships of salt souled seafarers
who dive from decks to Barbary dens
then wake headached on outbound crews
shanghaied for per scalp commissions
by the skid row sleaze
learning to say “syphilis” in Cantonese
/
John Q. Law Jack Manion
mick who scrubbed the North Beach
Black Hand clean
convenes the dragon families
silk talking warring clans serene
keeps the peace among the Tongs
until they learn to sleight of sight
their Sunday sermon sentenced wrongs
placating Town Hall diocese
teetotaler trustees
/
black panthers in shades and berets
prowl patrol the people’s placid lake
social unrest stoking
while inherent right invoking
a call to arms committee
like lynch mobs of San Franciscan lore
vintage vigilantes
from a hundred years before
open palm to compromise
replaced with raised clenched fist
threatening to civic power seize
quoting equal parts Sun Tzu and Socrates