Typical California
That morning you left, do you remember
You woke me up with the rustling of clothes
You stopped to tell me about the earth-
quake I tracked your movements with sleepy eyes
too tired to protest or protect myself by leaving my bed
I woke to a clear day with sun, shine and rays; typical California
Your clothes were bright and trendy; typical California
clothes I would “burrow” them, do you remember
I would take what I wanted and hide it under my bed
By default of being the younger sister, your clothes were my clothes
I inhaled your style with greedy, admiring, envious eyes
To you I was the most annoying sister on earth
The air would be perfumed with the scent of raw earth
after the rain that was typical, typical California
Niece would sleep with me and spook me with half opened eyes
You had your own bed but Niece and I shared, do you remember
I feared that she would “burrow” my clothes
She would probably want to share them like how we shared a bed
She’d take my pillow, my covers, my spot it was more her bed
Her drool on my pillow marred the salty smell of the earth
Some mornings I would wake up with the wetness of it on my clothes
She was always bronze with wide eyes and a smile; typical California
girl She was always full of life, do you remember
She’d run from sleep, even in sleep she didn’t fully close her eyes
My every move would seemingly be tracked by her half opened eyes
I still sleep in a small corner of my more than half empty bed
It’s like my body knows what was and still remembers
As it still remembers the scent of the earth
After it rains on a typical California
day while dressed in typical California clothes
Ten years later I still steal, I mean, burrow your clothes
The memories of those long ago days still dance behind open and closed eyes
On the opposite coast, although some things are the same, it not typical California
I sometimes have company but the empty space is bigger in this queen size bed
On rainy days it’s humid but I still remember the sweet smell of the earth
Although I miss it, I won’t go back, I’ll just keep the good memories that I remember
Empty and shared beds, raw ocean tinted earth, trendy clothes, tanned skin, shade covered eyes Typical California: clear enough to be crowded with
memories do you remember
(written in the Spring of 2006. It wasn't a true sestina so today, 12/17/2010 I added that sixth italicized stanza)
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