Extinguished, תכבה

Extinguished תכבה

sprawling, unincorporated, unleavened city
plight of the homeless enshrined behind Taco Bell
in Woodland Hills, and why not?
The fire may not be extinguished לא תכבה

closed, boulevard storefronts echo:
“for lease for lease for lease for lease for lease for lease for lease for lease.….”
ricochets off freeway underpass concrete
plastic tents, trash heaps
semblance of home to many
Holy of Holies

Encino, vacant
So-Cal pretense semblance of commerce
Nail Spa, Lucifer’s Pizza on Ventura
facades behind which the wood is cold and showbread stale

Heading west along paved prairies
frontier dream of fecundity despite desultory sagebrush, tumbleweed,
and iHop
(behind which is a billboard: “Cruel Summer” season 1
Hulu? Yeah, premiers this month. I’m stoked!)
syrup-y stack feeds the reconciled
Altars, bereft of yearlings, dashed only with plasma of destitution, restitution

remnant
Red Carpet fading
tuft upon which once trod diamond-encrusted stilettos
crimson tabernacle
star-studded no more
full-on Glam–ashes removed and taken outside the camp to a pure place
neither Gucci or Giorgio
Glam is Gone
Garments removed preceding immersion