CHRISTMAS WEEK - Christmas Day in Los Angeles

In the 80s, I spent a fair amount of time in Los Angeles, in Manhattan Beach

It was a good time, a bad time, a lot of hard work for (now through the prism of history) 

very little or no reward but  a time of many interesting moments and reflections and interventions...

like this one.... text actually written back then....

Christmas Day, Los Angeles, 1988

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ONLY TUESDAY IN THE LAND OF AUTUMN

It's windy today.

The waves are being swept high into the air; crashing down on the pock-marked sand - sending gulls

spluttering off in all directions.... the odd feather left spiraling... til I brush it out of the way...

I see that that the little squawkers have settled into the grooves of my footsteps in the sand (one way

of covering my tracks, I smiled)...

Sad little California beach.

Where have all the people gone?

It's not the season for people.

The one I want isn't here. I roam the sand in exile... my kingdom of nothing.

I call upon my subjects... hey! get your beaks out of the garbage cans.... I'm talking to you!

Lift yourselves into the sky.

Do something useful.

It's Christmas.

I throw a rock at them...

they scurry off into the horizon...

Smoking a cigarette at a boardwalk cafe, I could see the empty bodies of the California people...

identical heads... empty of anything useful to anyone; what could they possibly be talking about? My

cynicism thrives in cold weather, doesn't it? The Mexican beer slid down my throat. I hated myself. I

liked it better when I didn't know anything.

The last surfers were straggling up the beach; boards in hand.

Sun's about to set. Time to go home.

Something hits my head and bounces onto the table.

It's an ugly green and silver Christmas tree ball!

Stupid gulls.

Always showing off.

Ralph Alfonso

CHRISTMAS WEEK - Christmas Eve

Last day of travel... last day on the road... last chance to reflect...
pretty soon the airplane will touch down... the train will grind to a stop...
the bus will puff and wheeze... and the car waits for the last red light to go green...


almost home






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HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS


I'm going home for
The holidays so we
Can be together
In our separate ways
There's so much that
Can't be said as we
Sit and count the daya




Ralph Alfonso


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ANGELS GOING HOME

Ralph - Angels Going Home

i'm saying goodbye to another

all night truck stop

i throw away my paper cup

and the wind lifts it up

maybe one day i'll wake up

and see some sunlight in my world

but right now

all i got is the glare

of every kind of car

going the wrong way on my highway

i keep eating up gas and donuts

and every kind of candy bag is

lying on my back seats

yeah All Night, Good Eats

anywhere but your world is

good enough for me

i am your friend for this minute

for this hour, for this weekend

i am glad to bless you with

God's kindness, I am happy to

give you knowledge

but somewhere soon, i'm hoping

i can have some of this for me

i've got plenty of time to hurry up

so i can run around here

in the middle of nowhere

smoking my last cigarette on the roof

of this ghost town motel

i try very hard to listen to

these whispers in my heart

telling me

all out flat out

that's what cars are for

you put your foot to the floor

the stars are spinning

maybe jackpot on a lucky streak

well, that would be very nice

two sevens clash on tumbling dice

i am counting every star in heaven tonight

and maybe somebody may be counting on me

i won't let you down

every angel must come around

your smile makes me stronger you know

and your faith is beside me

wherever i go

ralph alfonso

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almost home.

CHRISTMAS WEEK - Thursday Before...

DECEMBER AT GROUND ZERO

SEPT 11 POEM:

There is really nothing that can prepare you for Ground Zero.

I was there in December of 2002, and I remember that it was cold,

and there was a very strange kind of quiet,

and hundreds of bouquets of flowers

and banners

and people

but nobody spoke really

you just grabbed onto the fence

and stared into the ground

and prayed

silently

and meditated

on the implications of

what was

before you

ralph alfonso











WKRG.com News

CHRISTMAS WEEK - Wednesday Before...

Montreal Snow

Yeah, there's some

not lots

and it's cold

I forgot how cold

but I'm here this week

oblivious to the world

recharging batteries

fighting an awful flu

I just saw some old family movies

for the first time

capsule moments

from the 60s

the only footage of my late mother

briefly there

smiling at the camera

young and beautiful

and then gone

cut to some airplane flying over

our backyard

and footage of my grandfather

dapper in black

smoking a cigarette

all of them at the grave

of my beloved uncle

who died too young

and who I will now visit tomorrow

he's not too far from

his sister

my mother

peace at last

from a new world

that promised so much

rewarded so little

Ralph Alfonso

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THE DUST OF PLEASANT MEMORIES

You stop to sit

on a child's swing

and

Here is winter everywhere

We walk through the dust

of pleasant memories

of carousels at the Fair

and smells and laughter

and everyone there

children running

after a summer sun

and baskets of flowers

and foods for everyone

and dancers step to

the flutes and the drums

and mandolins

and bangles and things

and tho they are gone

we shall always be there

full of hope

full of light

full of love

everywhere

ralph alfonso

-----------------------

ashes to ashes

Montreal

Cote des Neiges cemetery

all quiet

and white

everyone asleep

cradled in God's arms

forever

there but for the grace of

nothing is fair

really

i think

eternity ends here

ralph alfonso

-------------------------------

CHRISTMAS WEEK - Tuesday Before...

It's Winter everywhere...
snow stalling airports in Europe
icicles glistening perilously from gargoyle noses
but love clears its own path
tryst for now or something far greater
enjoy it all


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WALKING THRU THE SLEEPY CITY

The blue neon signs

shed a pale light on the

snow-covered streets

that you and I are walking through

watching the little mists of

cold air float up every time

we speak

And in this wonderful place

At the top of the world

on this empty corner

we stop under a street lamp

and we hold each other tight

we kiss

But it's so cold -

so cold

our lips stick together

ralph alfonso

* memories of stockholm in snow

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SAD DAY, LONG NIGHT

Sad day, long night

Big kiss, big fight

The things we do

The things we say

Between me and you

Baby

It'll never be right

The Christmas Bells

Maybe all's well

Our cozy fire

Will always burn bright

When we kiss and make up

Christmas Night

ralph alfonso

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OK THIS IS CHRISTMAS BUT

And this is my heart and this is

my gift to you.

Yeah, well,

ok, this is Christmas, but

I'm blessed every day that

I'm with you

ralph alfonso

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NOEL PARTOUT

c'est Noel dans les rues

dans nos coeurs

et partout

ralph alfonso

* Noel a Paris

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TOMORROW IS A CLOUD

Today is a smile

A cup of coffee

Tomorrow is a cloud

Something uncertain

Love for now

Everything else

Will have to find you

ralph alfonso

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NOEL A PARIS