SoCal
I’ve spoken of the green velvet walkway
outside my back door,
and as Californians often measure
distance in time rather than miles,
know...
Know within forty minutes from
Los Angeles City and the green
velvet walkway.
Know...
All stated within the period
of the winters of Southern California.
All stated from November through March.
All stated within times of decent travel time.
Now I speak of what goes beyond my back door...
beyond the green velvet walkway.
To the east, less than...
Less than an hour and a half
from the green velvet walkway;
freeways to the east then a four lane road
upward, upward to small towns crossed
with ski runs within snowcapped mountains.
And further east yet
across barren desert,
crossing the border into Nevada,
from the green velvet walkway
it’s but hours to Las Vegas.
However...
When tired of skis or toboggans
or sledding with children,
after the cup of hot chocolate,
“Daddy,” or “Honey,”
your red-cheeked child or wife
or sweetheart may say,
“Let’s see the beach!”
So down the mountain onto the roadway
onto freeways from below freezing to
the rising heat of a California winter
within...
Within less than two hours from
snowcapped mountains
rising above the knoll there,
for as far as the eye can see there,
white capped blue ocean is there.
There!
The mighty Pacific shoreline ambling north
and south for as far as the eye can see
with mile upon mile of ocean tossed sandy beach and now,
though in the midst of winter, now…
Now, if prepared,
in the midst of winter now warm enough
the choice to swim is there.
From my back door beyond
the green velvet walkway,
to the south...
To the south three hours’ time onto
one freeway then another then one more
now into the beauty of the city,
the city of San Diego, then…
Then a half hour longer crosses the border
into Mexico.
From my back door beyond
the green velvet walkway
to the north...
North!
To the north into the mountains along the
jagged Pacific coast the twisting roadway
meanders through beautiful cites.
Through Santa Barbara
then ambling hours further past Monterey
past numerous ocean front cities
and in six hours time...
Six hours!
Six hours from the green velvet walkway
brings you to the city by the bay:
San Francisco.
From my back door beyond
the green velvet walkway
to the north,
to the south,
to the east or west
no place else to live.
For me!
For me
no place else to be
beyond the green velvet walkway.
©October 3, 2011 / Mark M. Lichterman
