John Bache
***
Empty Playground, Early Morning, North Hollywood, California
***
During the long hot summers as a young man of 9 or 10 I would hike with my friends from my neighborhood after breakfast to our town's only public pool and playground. If I got lucky I could hitch a ride with my older brother on his bike which would save me a whole lot of precious time, for if I walked it would take me well over an hour, perhaps even an hour and a half to reach the park. As kids we would try to take different routes to make the trip more interesting. I recall that if the big wash had any water flowing in it, we would be forced to go over a concrete bridge located another half mile down the road. Once we arrived at the park we would line up with other kids who had traveled from different parts of town. We were really a diverse group; many of us were born in America, but our parents were from western Europe, Germany, France, Italy, and England with a few Balkan countries mixed in as well. I can remember only a handful of Black and Hispanic kids and most of them were males. When the gates were finally unlocked we could then step up and pay our entrance fee, which I think was 25 cents for the whole day... a real bargain for such good memories, don't you think?
***
***
Listen Carefully
***
Empty House / In-Laws Home, Eagle Rock, California
***
Bill asleep in his easy chair
Watching the evening news
Kim barking in the backyard
Steve washing his car, next door
Carlos raking leaves across the street
Children playing tag
Living for yesterday
***
***
North Hollywood Public Pool
***
Walk

Walk, don't run
Stay out of the deep end
Hot summer day, burns your feet
Key to your locker, pinned to your swim trunks
Lunch on the grass
Walk, don't run
***
***
Preparation To Raise The "Big Top"
***
Circus Vargas, Early Morning, Burbank, California
***