Maybe it’s because in my early
childhood we didn’t own a car,
and we had to walk everywhere.
Early memories of Downtown
Long Beach under 1980’s
reconstruction, are filled with us
walking.
The house we lived in is gone, and
I’m sure a Starbucks took its place.
I often wonder if the cross dressing
street walker is still claiming the block,
she was a nice lady.
Maybe it’s because when we lived in
Lynwood and I was the only blonde
with tanned skin who stopped taunts
with smiles, developing a friendly
disposition, allowing me to embrace
the many cultures swimming through me,
and around me.
Maybe this is how I learned not to judge,
but to watch, and find beauty in all its
forms.
Cadence Collective: Long Beach Poets 
This is a kind of poem that takes me back in time. I liked the feeling that you put into it, that little bit of yourself there we feel when reading.