I take the Daly City shuttle to SF state with a full-lipped, Edie Sedgwick haired, English grad student. Like a character from the old school arcade game, Rampage, she came to demolish her last final; a test on Will the Shake. I'm left to wander the campus for an hour and half before i'm suppose to meet her along the path between the student center, coy pond, and humanities building.
I stalk, follow, shadow an animated girl in a blue t-shirt over a long-sleeve Fubu orange undershirt. Her bright arms wave spastically as she talks to friends on either side. The sky is blue and clear but its still rather chilly.
She's excited, either because she finished her last final and is now on her way to the campus bar; or she finished her last final yesterday, nursed the bottle since this morning, and is now on her way to the campus bar. No matter, thoughts of finding this elusive watering hole intrigue me. Plus she has a cute doop, wrapped in faded blues.
After several more character chases across this seemingly dead commuter campus devoid of vendors/booths, i end up atop the Student Center.
Bustle tranquil
Diatribes of the wanderer
Hustle to and from
Wandering eyes of the searcher
Maniacal Fascination
Bastion for the lost
Hemostatic Elevation
Gaze below the glass to the mass of minds
Enthralling studious entrapment
I am transported to the fine arts department, critically looking upon black and white photographs in plexiglas display cases. Crap crap lovely pretentious college crap living behind a 35 mm lens.
Hallways adorned with oil paintings on canvas discarded upon the floor, some face down to hide the shame of a fledgling artist, others leaning against the wall in awkward display, try to solicit my eyes. "Look at me," they urge, "Appreciate meeeeeeee..."
Down a set of stairs, I come across a piece to my liking. I study the 1st floor evacuation plan, a collage of symbols, dungeons & dragons labyrinths, and green dashes. A fine piece of workmanship, beautiful and practical...as well as in brail. Walking along the secondary evacuation route, i exit to a winter afternoon sun beginning to bathe the damp ground in warmth. I seat myself on a wooden bench downstream of the coy pond.
Pathways of hope
Leading away from listlessness
Towards the salvation of education a new generation learns to march
Rank & File. Rank & File.
Between the paved cracks, splayed by roots
March On. March On.
Slipping in the dewy glen, brushed by grass
March On. March On.
Gazing, glancing, growing tall beneath the pines
Rank & File. Rank & File.
As soon as that last line is written, i am greeted by a joyous, bouncing beauty with a chest slightly bigger than what her petite frame would suggest. Our timing is impeccable.
"Lee, i kicked sooo much ass on that final. I even got all the ID's."
"Awesome baby doll. Do you want to hear what i've been up to?"
"No. I'm hungry. Lets eat."
"Ok. I can dig."
When am i not hungry? Post eating, and post physically dragging this girl away from the make up and shoe departments at Nordstrom's, her lithe frame wiggles free of my anti-consumerism grasp and dashes into the San Rio store at the mall. I sit below the escalator, whom i like. Because when he breaks down, he can only become stairs. The out-of-order sign would read: Temporarily Stairs - Sorry for the Convenience. I wait momentarily outside the store.
Colors of childhood
Blankets of gender
Molded & pinked into fashion
In route upon the bus away from campus and its nearby mall, i notice the date displayed on the LCD screen behind the drivers seat. "December 21, 2007. I don't know why, but today feels like a special day." "Ehh, what about your iPod?" she says in reply.
"Whoever has my iPod is one lucky ass bastard. Not only do they have a kick-ass collection of tunes, they have in their possession a lovely picture i attained when i first bought it. You know, that one with apple stickers?" "Oh my!" "They better appreciate all it has to offer."
If you find a black iPod with a picture on it that loosely resembles the drawing below, contact me.
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