POEM - Roxie Meets Danny

Every year we made two trips

One to St. George

One to West Covina

As I got older, the trip to Cali meant more

It was what I looked forward to

I was a skater and loved the beach

The mall  was right around the corner

With a two story Tower Records

The liquor store had candy bars cheap

And we always waved to Mr. Water

The large concrete storm drain offshoot

Of the Los Angeles river Waters

When my cousin Matt was there it was better

His grandparents lived in Hacienda Heights

Which expanded our roaming circle

Gave us hours unsupervised

We secretly thought we were the cool ones

Thought we were with it and hip

Until we talked with Grandma Roxie

Matt and I were sitting around the kitchen table

Talking about music

            Planning our next outing

Seeing if there was anything happening

When grandma joined in

She always liked us grandsons

            And we liked her back

She was the grandma that understood us

Was easy to talk to

            Wasn't too strict

Also, it turns out, a total hipster

We were talking over the shows we’d seen

When grandma said she’d just been to one

She taught a religion class at the Institute

Which was on the CalPoly campus

One night there was a concert

And she drifted over and took it in

            She said it was pretty good

Not what she usually listens too

            But the kids seemed to enjoy it

So we had to ask who

            Who was this pretty good band

“They had a funny name,” she said,

            “I think it was something like Oingo Boingo”

Really? Oingo Boingo

            You've got to be kidding me

It was a humbling experience

            My grandmother had seen Oingo Boingo

Before I had seen them

            Before I’d really been to anything

Except a Beach Boys concert

            15 years after they mattered

And that’s how Grandma Roxie rolls, boys

            That’s how she rolls!