SAN FRANCISCO POETS
Bill Mercer
Vesuvio's North Beach
I'm upstairs by the window having
a tall coffe before heading out to
catch the train. Down the alley a
drunk tries to crash on thesidewalk
beneath Baudelaire"s painted glare,
solemn and haunted.
He turns over, turns over again.
He sits up, lies back down, sits up
again. He can't get comfortable
under that formidable stare.
He gets up, steadies himself, then
navigates the surging sea of a sidewalk
to the corner: a triumphant traveler.
He settles in beneath Kerouac"s
kind gaze and passes out immediately.
Kerouac: Boddhisatva for drunks.
And travelers.© Bill Mercer
Bill Mercer is a fine poet and artist from the deep South who has
made his home in San Francisco for many years. He can be heard
at many of the local poetry venues. His chapbooks are wonderful
and very collectible. And he occasionally displays his art work in the area.
