Named

I read the email slowly, noting that I was being instructed to fly to Tempe, AZ. It was a bit of a surprise because I had expected to go to Phoenix. Being somewhat limited of my knowledge in Arizona geography I had to think that perhaps Tempe is a suburb and like the three dog night song intoned, ‘what does it matter?’. Probably not a lick.
Still it gave me time to think about names of places and why they get called what they do. Often it’s because of some meaning associated with the spot or even an event that took place there. The early Americans popularized the somewhat pompous and egotistical method of naming them after themselves but in truth they were only following an age old tradition of first there and Bob’s your uncle.

Still some incredibly interesting ones have persisted over time and some are just honest mistakes. The West Indies is a prime example. Columbus called the natives Indians as he was sure that he had discovered a new route to the Asian continent. In reality, he had stumbled his way to continent that had been colonized by other Europeans some 500 years previously. I can only imagine the Enquirer headlines on that one... ‘Chris Screws up Big Time and Liz Wants Her Jewels Back’

Back home we have a barren Tree Island that is covered in cacti and nearby is Cactus Island covered with…you guessed it ….trees. Seems as though some well meaning individual made a mistake in placing them on an official map. One of my favourites comes from Alberta, Smashed-in Buffalo Head Jump. It leaves very little for the imagination to try to sort out once you see the cliff that the natives drove the animals over.

An Odd Couple

They played Santana adequately
given the milieu

sandal-clad crowd
guzzling Pacifico
uneven tables on a gravel floor

steady flow of grease and heartburn
from the kitchen
tempered with mas cervezia

interrupted only by small girls
selling roses
and a latino with sketches

outrageously bad
bloated hispanic Elvis
only thirty pesos senor

I thought of Jesus
he and Elvis
sharing equal billing on a speeding bus driver’s mirror
now sharing the same price in a manner of speaking

An Odd Couple

They played Santana adequately
given the milieu

sandal-clad crowd
guzzling Pacifico
uneven tables on a gravel floor

steady flow of grease and heartburn
from the kitchen
tempered with mas cervezia

interrupted only by small girls
selling roses
and a latino with sketches

outrageously bad
bloated hispanic Elvis
only thirty pesos senor

I thought of Jesus
he and Elvis
sharing equal billing on a speeding bus driver’s mirror
now sharing the same price in a manner of speaking

Just One Look

The picture I saw
Was a young girl leaning
Her wrists in the vanity
Her eyes searching the mirror for the same

Lustrous brown hair tumbled down
In a way a blondes never could
dark chocolate eyes
imprisoned passion sparkled

the tilt of her head halfway between
a self confident pose
and stretching for a lover’s kiss

if it was the latter
and if in my dream I was there
her eyes would be closing
and my heart would pound

someone cares

that was a surprise
that she would care
enough to look

to find the the mutual feelings
were still mutual
both invigorating
and unnerving

i tried to suppress the former
may as well order the tide to stay out

Xmas Wish List

winter in sandals
the only flakes the imports
beached and bronzed
capable of only rolling over slowly

dos cervezia, por favor

Behind me

The fact that they were speaking rapid fire staccato Spanglish
didn't change the topic that they were discussing
the heated exchange only interrupted by brief
and smouldering glances in my direction

leaving me no doubt
that very soon
id have to put out
or get out

i chose the former

odd how the girl that i had seen
the previous day
did not approve.....clearly
a language barrier