in Uncategorized 291 Words

la brea 

today I crawled out of a tar pit.
  

I was walking two houses down 

where the church takes over the entire goddamned road 

and the neighbor with the Weimaraner waved. 

I think he knows I only acknowledge him for his choice in graceful companion 

incidentally, 

I can’t stand his wife. 
  

I’ve lived here for 15 years.

I used to dig holes in the yard.

I played archeologist when the other girls played kissing boys.

I never liked boys.

they made me nervous. 

it’s probably because the first boy I liked dropped his pet snake under my shirt.

this is not a euphemism, 

it bit my neck.

although I experienced the latter 

much too early on, as well. 
  

l think the deepest traumas are the ones we don’t understand so well until the moment we understand them too well.

the types of epiphanies that come on like 

“oh, oh,

oh fuck..” 

they make you straighten out in your seat 

adjust your glasses 

and force the thought out..

sort of dive into the tar.
  

speaking of,  

I bet if someone pulled my lungs out 

they’d look like the curtains in a truth ad.

I bet they’d have that anti smoking campaign quality. 

you know, I quit but I still think about them everyday 

in fact, sometimes I dream I’m walking down an alley 

chainsmoking and petting stray cats in a foggy city 

even though I’m a sun bather 

much to my depression’s dismay 
  

today I crawled out of a tar pit.  

i mean, its possible 

anyway.
 

– SC 

69 thoughts on “la brea ”

  11. this is a great piece of writing, especially this line “l think the deepest traumas are the ones we don’t understand so well until the moment we understand them too well.” Wow, really nicely done. I look forward to reading much more of your work, as time allows anyway! Can’t wait till I can retire and have much more time for writing and reading. Thank you for reading my poem. Michelle

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  15. The tar pits and the art gallery there were always worth about a half day of sheer pleasure for me.

    Thanks for liking my poem Poeticalization. Please come back often as there are over 300 poems waiting there for you.

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  21. Wow. This was great, sinuous, unexpected writing. Thank you for sharing. And double thank you, for it brought me back through time, to when I visited the La Brea Tar Pits with my family, and how very sad I was by the display of the mother Wooly Mammoth who could not reach her much smaller offspring, stranded in the pool of tar. (Is that still there?) I was always regarded as “too sensitive”… I suppose that has not changed, though these days, I see the positive side of such a label. 🙂

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    1. Wow! This was so awesome to read. I’m so glad it brought back a memory for you.. albeit a sad memory.. That’s really really bittersweet. Thank you for the lovely compliment.. and I assure you I’ve been called oversensitive my entire life. I wear it proudly. 😉

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  22. I can’t think of a better introduction to someone than this. A great first read and I’m sure the start of many more. I look forward to getting to know you.

    Liked by 1 person

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