about the waves and the land

as california falls into the sea
                                                slower than we believed
and the mud tumbles over itself
                                          attempting to break free
as the ocean rises up to meet it
                                              250 feet away
and see where the shoreline
                                           becomes the sky
as the water is as blue as ever
                                         sparkling against brown earth
and the canyon turns the roadway
                                                  inside out

there'll be a tombstone along
what once was route 1
sinking slowly to pacific floor

all the tortuous gray
will be forgotten

all the cars will rust
and drown below

unseen

forevermore

Pine Mountain Glow

33 cuts dry land north

and leaves Lockwood valley road

to flash flood warning turns east

blue crayon sky thick with

wax strokes 

                     groan of sedentary cow

no tires on split and cracked gray skin

from the wash Mt Pinos

                                         8,484 ft rock skulled north 

sunk into valley silence Pine Mtn Buddhist retreat

fence barely rises to knees green etches scarred

kick the pebbles by the yellow lined side scrap the

foot prints off the rock of the curb of the ditch of no-thing.

Like at Home

I-8
nothing in Pine Valley
nothing on Boulevard
not a thing in Jacumba
or Ocitillo, plaster city,
nor dixieland,

hug tight to the border
9 miles south,
El Centro, California
old home of
Kumeyaay Tipai-Ipai,

90 degrees is
morning cool,

washed out windows
decaying signs,
homes are all trailers
no grass, no trees,

quick oasis of
american corporatism
hardy's del taco mcdonalds
at highway nexus
last stand before
plunge to Mexicali Mexico,

breakfast
hidden in tight
corners between
squat buildings,
abandoned, cracked
 and melted lots,
aguas frescas
melon, pineapple,
orange, fresh tortilla
scent, respite from
long dead miles,

this IS America, man!

this stretch of miles
this flat brown land
this world dropped out of time
this unforgiving glare

these people all different,

these people all the same.