Signal Hill Sunday Morning

I haven't been here before
Haven't found a reason to come all this way
This far south and west of Cherry

This far east and north of 7th
Not until this morning
I felt like maybe
I was in a hurry
Had to find the nearest location
Not necessarily the best one
Just the one that I could get to as soon as possible
So I could stroll the aisles for 100 minutes
Pretending to be in a hurry
No need to worry
The effects will wear off
Around the time I need to unwind
Alone in the dark morning cloud of my second and so far best of my Long Beach apartments

I start in present tense
I move to past or more like present looking back
Then the past tense looking forward to a present that's now past
As I write this
Goddamn poem
To justify the picture you see
It was a Sunday morning, the last day of the first month
Of the second decade of the 21st century
There's a Target on E. 33rd, Signal Hill
They're remodeling
There's an oil well just down the street and around the corner
Meaning there's a derrick just down the street and around the corner
Meaning there's a pumpjack.... a nodding donkey... a thirsty bird
Just down the street and around the corner

Slow fade:
I kept the receipt
Actually there were two 'cause I bought electronics too
I kept the receipts
Spent $188 and now I think I spend way too much
I'm returning the gizmo and the high-end toothbrush
I'm keeping the toothpaste and high fiber bars
I never did get the green Brita pitcher
And that's what I went there for
In the first place

Fast fade:
I kept the receipt
Two, not one
I kept the receipts  

2.2.10