lunch with john b-r

john & have been friends for several years.  we talk on the phone often.  we text almost daily.  but the one thing we hadn't done was meet in person.  john lives in so cal.  i live in norcal.  i don't travel very often.  and i really am loathe to drive.  i mean i do drive, i have to because california is not easy for the car-less, & i will drive long distances.  but if i have my druthers i prefer to walk my way there.  but i got over my loathing for all things vehicular and pointed our prius to berkeley where john & i agreed to meet for the first time.

john was in the bay area to read at eileen tabios' hay[na]ku 15th birthday party reading at the sf public library on saturday, 9/8.  i was ready to go to sf to see john, eileen, & one of my very favorite poets & human beings, jean vengua.  but if you are loathe to drive then sf is a hellish place.  traffic in the bay area is in a circle of hell that dante didn't imagine.  & parking, in sf?!  get the fuck outta here!  so i asked john if he planned to go to moe's books in berkeley, one of the best bookstores on earth.  john said yes.  i said, i'll see you there on monday, 9/10.

why am i not loathe to drive to berkeley?  i don't really know.  i love berkeley.  it is my second favorite city on earth.  driving berkeley is kinda like driving sacramento.  both are congested.  both have lots of people.  but both cities are somehow more sane, traffic-wise, than the city across the bay.  oakland, even, is a much better city to drive in.  i made up my mind.  i was going to berkeley to see john.

the scene was set and the motion was made.  we agreed to meet at moe's at 10:00 AM.  we'll browse the stacks for an hour or so, find a place for lunch, shoot the shit, catch up on things, talk about poets & poetry and see where the day takes us.  only that i promised to get john to the BART station on shattuck ave by 2:00 PM.  i told john i'll text him once i parked the prius.

i left sac around 8:30.  i expected morning traffic to the bay area to be a wild & congested trip.  it wasn't.  i had the car parked at a garage on durant st at 10:00.  i walked the couple blocks up telegraph ave to moe's and texted john as soon as i walked in the door.  we were to meet at the poetry section.

so that was where i went.  as soon as i got to the stacks i turned around.  i saw john near the elevators.  he was on his phone.  i walked to him.  he looked up & said, i thought you were taller.  huh?  well, john said, your voice is deep.  i expected you to be around 6'2 or 6'3.  but i am 6 ft, i answered.  i think i might be shrinking as i age.

john, in turn, looked cool.  both arms are decorated with beautiful tattoos.  he wears a dog tag around his neck with the inscription, who broke the world?  the quote comes from the great george miller movie, mad max: fury road [2015].

i don't remember the details of our conversations.  but they were rangy.  we pulled books off the shelves, examples of poets whom we love.  we both marveled at how many poets on the shelves are contributors to our anthology of writers & artists on the anthropocene.  we discussed the merits, & non merits, of bob dylan & patti smith.  we had a delicious lunch at a thai restaurant a couple blocks down the street from moe's.  then we walked to university bookstore near the campus and browsed its wares for a bit.

suddenly it was two pm.  i had to get john to the BART station.  those few hours with john went past at warp speed.  i hugged john goodbye, watched him walk down the BART steps, then pointed our prius toward university ave toward the freeway & back home to sac.

still, each day i remind myself of the importance to get out of my comfort zone.  go to sf [sometimes], go to some readings, meet friends, you will find the time & energy.  because sooner than later you will run out of time.  i have only this one life.  poetry makes me happy.  poet friends make me happier still.  i am a loyal chap, too.  i hope that when it is my time to die my friends will say of me, he was a good friend.

so i am happy to meet, finally, john at one of my most favorite bookstores in my second favorite city on earth.  like i said, he is one cool dude.