The City



When Pat and I went to Niagara Falls, we did many things. One of the fool things that I did when I was there was to follow him after we got out of a random Ferris wheel down the back of a hotel parking lot. He kept persisting with me that we wouldn’t get closed in after I pointed out we should turn around and go towards the crowds- I think the air of exploration and adventure was running in auto mode in his skull and since it was the long weekend I picked up my heels and trailed off behind him. Bully for Pat that my mind was more set on discovering the cheesy side to Sarah’s home town- the part which she detests and the part that is miles from her home yet Niagara Falls has that boon off smell and feel of Sarah in ever dusty corner and in every open broken down field.

After 10 minutes of obviously walking into a parking lot trap we decided it possibly was not the best of choices to walk this route. Off to my right, a man dressed in shades of navy and black materialized through the chain link fence and into the parking lot and he strode off not giving us a look. Soon down the line we found a hole in the fence and as a gentleman does in instances like these, he held the hole open wider for me as I inched down and thru the hole. A sprawl of open field- dead land between two motel 6’s and a parking lot in Niagara Falls- home to snails and men in shades of navy and black.

We stomped down and over tall grass and gravel towards streetlamp glow. I could feel it run thru my legs. I could feel the sensation and brutality. Gone yet never forgotten. City ghosts through cracked wild flower stains.

When you get on the high points and look out on the real land that is Niagara Falls, you can see her in every dead land field. She speaks to spirits. She is the high priestess. She can dance in this dead and rotting land of fake dreams, fake promises, heavy metallic city lights and the persuasion of affordable passion.

….



Its higher passion I am searching for. A higher communication forgotten between those behind TV screens, LCD monitors and injected with headphones, cell phones. Anyone can set their self to a higher communication as long as they have the shareware. The only hassle is getting the right reception. Its best you get up higher- above the wires and electricity of a city before plugging in. Then its just a matter of fishing for a signal.



If you get up high enough the signals are everywhere. Overpowering. I can pick out my receivers, dial up and upload the message. The transmittal of information in this manner is addictive and great care must be set into place that one doesn’t stay plugged in for too long…

…habit forming, making gestures slapping the arm and twisting a finger to the side of head. One you are plugged in its hard to disconnect.