Sixteenth Ave’ teems with dream-drawn immigrants.
Neighbor kids gather in shared schools…
Immaculate, Maryknoll, O’Dea and Garfield.

Spring and summer, we play capture-the-flag, touch football
or
shoot the”pill   ‘til
the hoop disappears in dusk.
We twist, swing, slow dance
to 45′s.
“In the still of the night….”

Ride the 27 Yesler for a swim in Lake Washington
until Matsudiara’s
buy a black ‘57 Ford
an’ Joe and Ed drive us.
Cool.

Older, I score a ‘56 2-door Bel-Air Chevy

copper, glass pacs & silver moon and rims.
Drive an’ make out in Seward Park.

I was cool too.

. .