LONG AGO
I SPENT MY TIME
IN A CARMEL
COTTAGE
TINY PLACE
AND PUT A SMILE
UPON MY FACE
WHEN PAINTING
OR WRITING…
ALWAYS INVITING,
ENTERTAINING
SECRET MEN
THOSE WHO
CHEATED
NOW AND THEN,
THE PLACE
WAS BURIED
IN THE WOODS,
HIDING BEHIND
AS I KNEW IT WOULD,
WITH A LARGE
AND HIGH GREEN HEDGE
KEEPING MY
PRIVATE TIME
OUT ON THE LEDGE,
I WORKED MYSELF
ON CANNERY ROW
A FAMOUS PLACE
THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW
WHILE A GROUP
OF ARCHITECTS
BECAME CIRCUMSPECT,
TEACHING ME
THE PROS AND CONS
OF MONTEREY,
THE QUIET PATHS
AND JOINTS TO PLAY…
I DROVE AROUND
EMBRACED BY SOUNDS
MANY OF THEM
QUITE FAMOUS
NOW,
AND SO TODAY
WE WENT TO
PLAY
AND SHAKE THE
CAMERA
AROUND THE
BOUNDS,

AND COME TO
SEE
A ROTTEN SIGHT
A PLACE EMBRACED
WITH JUNK
AND BRIGHT
CRUSHED WOOD
WALLS
INTO THE NIGHT,
MY HEART
BROKE OPEN
TO SEE THIS PLACE
ONE THAT I
ALWAYS
HAVE DREAMED
AND EMBRACED,
SOMEONE HAS
TAKEN
THE MAGIC AWAY
AND LEFT NASTY
NOTES
IN THE GLASS
DOORWAY…
AS I TURNED
AND REMEMBERED
THOSE SWEET WARM
SEPTEMBERS
A TEAR FELL
FROM MY EYES…
DESCRIBING HOW
THIS AWFUL SURPRISE
HAS BANISHED MY
DREAMS
OF HOW THINGS
WOULD SEEM
IF WE TURNED BACK
THE CLOCK…
WATCHING THE
ARTIST GIRL
INSIDE,
PAINTING HER
DREAMS
AROUND THE BLOCK!

©JW WINSLOW 3/1/2023