A Culture of Glitter Moment in Time

Moments in Time is back and bad
and here
again,

In the morning
bus ride
where else?

Moment in Time this morning on the bus
imagine that
never happened before has it now???? LOLzzzz

The morning bus, the 40, to Pershing Square, my normal bus commute heading to work to the wonderful fricking heart of glamor, Hollywood

Mr Industry that is me
the MexiMogul that is what I should call myself the MexiMogul
ew
don’t like the Sound at all.
Hijole.

So the bus this morning

shortly
after I sit myself down
in the rear
on the sideways bench
and begin listening to my Ipod
commence to zone
because i do that so well
Zone
turn off the mind
my special skill
a few exits later

a man
sits across from me on the opposing sideways bench
and i zone but then focus

and there he is
all fulls of holes and all

holes

little slits
no blaring, clothes hanging by a thread holes,
no
holes that are little slits
the fledgling holes that
will become big holes
one day

but for
now
are not
they are tiny and his blue workman’s pants have 3 on the left leg
one
near the knee
large
showing lots of skin
and some hair

showing skin usually construed as hot
perhaps

not now
showing skin
as in error
three
tiny slit holes on his left pants leg

and the t-shirt
the t-shirt
looking as if it had not been
washed
in at least 3 months

but not
filthy
not filthy not oozing with dirt
just vaguely soiled and unwashed.

and a hole on the shirt
a faded reddish
shirt
with a yellowish
outline
of a cat
or something
and a foo-foo

designer

the infamous
world famous
and renowned
designer

FERRIONI!

yes
man with 3 holes in his pants
is wearing a faded red shirt with
a cat and a hole and a designer
mark of
ferrioni

a shirt not cleaned since
forever
or
did the designer
intend that look?

Ferrioni so cutting edge ya know
maybe
it was meant to look like that

so homeboy
has a
total of four holes
covering
his ensemble
here in
the morning 40 bus to downtown

shoes
faded brown
lace ups
once upon a time
maybe
stylish
to an extent
now they need to be retired
beaten down

at
least
gratefully
no holes

but

holes might actually help these shoes.
might
his fingernails caked with dirt
and the
watch
faux gold
super faux
so gold it looks
Cracker Jacks
like
worst faux gold ever
not even gold
harsh yellow

no doubt a ferrioni as well
that ferrioni
everywhere
even in east la

so my bus mate
sitting
there
looking homeless

dude are you homeless my thought
because
he has the homeless unkemptness
about him
3rd- or 4th-generation hand-me-downs
that
should have been retired long ago

‘cept a giving soul
thought to continue the tradition
and pass down
the threads
because that’s all they are at this point
threads
dirty, blackened threads that will
never regain
their color
their lustre
their youth

like a washed up hollywood actress
the clothes have seen their better day
and the dude
with his dirty nails

and homeless motif

also

holds a packet of letter-sized printouts
looks official
from what I can make out
one has a space for his
name

FIRST MIDDLE LAST

it entreats

and then he rolls the papers
and through the paper it looks
like the bottom
sheet might possibly be a W2
form?

good government
bureacracy

he
is
endeavoring
to enter the System
good luck pal
job interview
?
i hope
maybe we can finally
put the Ferrioni to rest
once and for all
please do not bequeath that to a new generation
of

HALT

suddenly
my heart acts up
to sing
to weep?
to wallow in shame
no more humor
no more judgment

Ferrioni
dirty nails
3-holed pants legs

the sum
of a man

here on the bus

this morning
as he heads towards
something official
for he needs more
don’t we all

but he needs more
seriously

he has not been graced
by the
Culture of Glitter
he must survive
and my heart weeps

not for this suffering soul

who knows
what he ate for breakfast or dinner
who knows
where he sleeps
eats
where does he lie in bed and wish for more

dream
of a world
where he can wear
unbeaten clothes
and wear watches that don’t pretend to be
what they are not

and that paper folded in his hands
is that his key to…satisfaction

he sits
angled forward
anxious
written in his pose
his feet faced forward
and his body also
from this sideways seat
apprehensive
facing the front
looking for his exit
is he looking for the Way out
?
his hair disproportionately
combed
and neat
to his
clothes

glancing at that Rolexi watch he bought off a street vendor
is he late?

so anxious
he even pushes the bus’s stop button prematurely

the bus stops
and no one gets off

poor dude!
he pushes it again
and this time he gets
off
Indiana Avenue
heads toward Indiana
what state office is there, there i wonder

and it leaves me
living this fantasy

my needs met
my fancies fancied
my humble goals
always fed
how easy to define one’s world by that which one…

Has

and define “has” as the penultimate benchmark of
glory
and we discount anything less
as inglory

and we are at a stage
where our Has’s
have become so commonplace, so expected, and given

we rightfully and authoritatively
presume
that those who have less
are unhappy

or we hope
for if you have much less than i
and my happy
life

you are unhappy
and unhappy is undignified and miserable
you better be motherfucker!

but

wait

if you cannot enter
my
Culture of Glitter

get off the bus