I briefly visited this enclave tucked away in the core of Los Angeles on a bright, hot Monday - July 18th, 2022. Even on a weekday, which I assume is generally quieter than the weekend, I was overwhelmed by the multitude of sights, sounds, and sensations that flowed about the area in a torrential sense, drenching anyone there to witness it all, much like a heavy rain resulting in a flood that sweeps away all in its path. (my photos may not be the best reflection of this)
As such I became inspired to write a poem, and came across a type called the blitz. A definition for this is: "...a series of fifty very short lines that assault the reader's senses with abrupt images and thoughts". Additionally: "The blitz is an invented form by Robert Keim that uses minimalism and a unique pattern of repeated words to form up to a 50-line poem with breakneck pacing" (wordwool.com).
Here is my rendition:
Lifeblood of Los Angeles
Calle Olvera
Calle nuestros
Los Angeles together
Los Angeles personified
Dreams roaming
Dreams communing
Olvera is calling
Olvera is alive
Stalls beckon
Stalls provide
Mariachi music plays
Mariachi music pervades
Guitar strum
Guitar entices admiration
Thank you
Thank all present
Hectic urbanity
Hectic wants and desires
Slow down here
Slow momentarily
Sweet jamaica
Sweet vendor
Sweltering heat
Sweltering emotions
Enveloping this space
Enveloping passersby
Vines overhead
Vines sheltering
Dresses on mannequins
Dresses exquisite
Loteria is tradition
Loteria is chance
The pavement bakes
The pavement uplifts
The plaza that hums
The plaza that is rooted
Community and placeness
Community and expression
Cultural display
Cultural remembrance
Statue of Junipero Serra
Statue of a tangled past
Zanja Madre
Zanja de la vida
River that flows still
River persisting
Lifeblood of Angels
Lifeblood of the city
City...
Angels....
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