Street Sign

This poem and painting were created based on events that occurred during my childhood. I never understood why until my adult years; but there was something, be it an inner voice or my intuition, that would always stir up this feeling that, the world was much bigger than what I had seen. I would say to my Mother, "it feels small here" and "I'm too big". She would laugh at first, only to realize that I was serious.

When I got older, I learned of the word- "wanderlust"... and everything started to make sense. I couldn't wait for my chance to explore the world. So, when I was finally able to, I would long road trips and often, I had done so without any particular direction. It was such a wild experience, to say the least, full of excitement, sometimes chaos... but none that I would ever regret.

Still to this day, I would imagine what it would be like, if I could go back in time to meet my younger self, who would always be sitting on that street sign, and ask him to come down, so that I might show him all that I've seen and learned. I would also tell him that life wasn't always good... in fact, there were times when I ended up in the most darkest of places; but it wasn't always that way... because I've also experienced some amazing things as well. Beauty and splendor is where you find it... and no matter how dark life might have been... I was able to find it Everywhere!

So, to the little daydreamer who sat upon that street sign... I thank you. Your intuition was correct and I'm so glad that you came down. You were fearless and ready to face the world... which inspires me to do the same... even to this day.

STREET SIGN

I THINK I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD AT THE TIME...

OR MAYBE SIX

I LIVED IN A HOUSE ON THE CORNER,

IN THE PRETTIEST NEIGHBORHOOD.

I DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME...

ONLY WHEN I LOOK BACK AT IT NOW.

IT HAD PALM TREES AND FANCY HOUSES.

I HAD FRIENDS THERE.

WE'D PLAY VIOLENT GAMES OF COPS AND ROBBERS...

PRETENDING TO BE COWBOYS AND I WAS ALWAYS THE INDIAN.

FUNNY HOW WE PRETEND...

WHEN WE WERE JUST LITTLE BOYS.

WE HAD A NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET,

THAT LIVED IN A 2-STORY HOUSE

WHO RESEMBLED THE EUROPEAN IDEA OF JESUS CHRIST.

HE WAS TALL, WITH LONG HAIR AND A BEARD...

HE WAS QUIET AND VERY NICE.

I'LL NEVER FORGET HIM.

HE'D VISIT OFTEN BUT NEVER CAME INTO OUR HOME.

PROBABLY A BAD SPIRIT IN THERE OR SOMETHING... I DON'T KNOW

HE TOO WAS A CARPENTER, LIKE JESUS WAS.

MAYBE HE WAS JESUS.

MY SCHOOL WAS JUST DOWN THE STREET.

MY SISTERS AND I WOULD WALK THERE TOGETHER.

OUR FRIENDS ON THE BLOCK WOULD JOIN US,

BECAUSE BACK THEN, IT WAS STILL SAFE TO DO THAT.

ONE DAY AT SCHOOL DURING SHOW-AND-TELL,

I WAS PUT IN THE CORNER FOR THE WHOLE DAY...

FOR BRINGING A SHINY TOY GUN TO CLASS.

LOOKED JUST LIKE THE ONES IN COUNTRY WESTERN MOVIES.

I CRIED THAT DAY...

WATCHING THE OTHER KIDS FINGER PAINT.

I DIDN'T LIKE MY TEACHER ANYMORE...

I LIKED FINGER PAINTING, TOO!

ONE DAY, I NOTICED SMOKE UP IN THE FOOTHILLS.

I RAN INSIDE AND TOLD MY MOM, SO SHE TURNED ON THE T.V.

THERE WAS A WILDFIRE AND THE LADY SAID-

THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO PUT IT OUT.

I WAS AMAZED BY THIS ONLY BECAUSE THE FIRE ON T.V.

WAS THE SAME ONE THAT WAS OUTSIDE!

HOW WAS THAT? I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.

THEN AGAIN, I WAS ONLY FIVE... OR MAYBE SIX?

IT WAS TOO FAR AWAY, BUT I WANTED TO SEE IT!

I COULDN'T... ALL THE PALM TREES AND HOUSES WERE IN THE WAY.

I NEEDED TO GO HIGHER- AND THEN I HAD AN IDEA!

ON OUR CORNER WAS A STREET SIGN!

WITHOUT ANY FEAR OF FALLING, I CLIMBED UP THAT POLE

I KEPT MY HEAD UP AND HELD ON SO TIGHT...

UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO SIT ON TOP OF THAT SIGN...

EAST COMSTOCK WAS THE NAME ON IT.

I WATCHED THE SMOKE GO UP IN THE AIR-

BUT I STILL COULDN'T SEE THE FIRE!

AND THEN I NOTICED SOMETHING...

AS FAS AS MY EYES COULD SEE...

I REALIZED THAT DAY, AS I LOOKED DOWN,

STARING AT MY SILHOUETTE ON THE ROAD-

HIGH ABOVE THE GROUND,

PEOPLE WAVING AS THEY DROVE BY-

SOMETHING THAT CHANGED MY LIFE...

EVEN TO THIS VERY DAY.

BEYOND THE HOUSES AND THE PALM TREES,

WAS A WORLD GREATER THAN WHAT I WAS LIMITED TO SEE.

JUST HOW FAR DID THESE STREETS GO?

HOW FAR WERE THE FOOTHILLS?

HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE LIVED PAST MY SCHOOL?

MAYBE ANOTHER JESUS, PERHAPS?

MAYBE A PLACE WHERE I WASN'T THE ONLY INDIAN...

SOME PLACE WHERE TEACHERS DIDN'T PUNISH YOU-

AND I COULD TAKE MY GUNS ANYWHERE!!

BUT I WAS ONLY FIVE, OR WAS IT SIX? I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND...

MY MOM COULDN'T EITHER,

WHEN SHE WOULD FIND ME DAYDREAMING.

MANY TIMES SHE WOULD ASK...

MY ANSWERS WERE ALWAYS THE SAME.

COUNTLESS TIMES I'D CLIMB UP THAT SIGN-

IMAGINING THE UNSEEN WORLD.

AND NOW THE ONLY WORLD THAT I HAD EVER KNOWN...

HAD BECOME SMALLER.

I WAS FIVE... SIX.

AND SUDDENLY I FELT TOO BIG FOR THIS WORLD.

...Richie Said That!