HILLCREST

Bloom of neon dusk

Borders village revelry

The days grow shorter

I got a late start home the other

night; took the shuttle at dusk

and witnessed an amazing sunset

as I strolled through Hillcrest down

University Avenue, the main artery.

My community is eclectic with a

heavy dose of high end organic pizza

joints with the requisite hand-crafted beer, Greek, Thai, Pho, Italian,

Afghani eateries within a block,

gelato bars, gay bars, wine bars,

used bookstores, funky recycled clothing boutiques, tattoo parlours,

candle shop, coffee shops, head shops and

some empty storefronts, now depositories for

garbage. Things were bustling, it was happy

hour, early-bird special at the local deli on

the corner of University and Sixth Avenue.

The doorways are not yet filled with our

village nomads, the tired and torn citizens

that lurk in the shadows waiting for the

evening's revelry to end, before they

turn up their collars and pull their blankets

close and snug. I love this village but

can't help but feel part of a bi-polar life

as I stroll and see the have's, the have

not's, the never will have's. The gleam of

prosperity takes on a patina of poverty

and I wonder what in the world went

wrong in our self-proclaimed America's

Finest City. I duck into Whole Foods and

shrug off that uneasy feeling.