SANTA MONICA / CALIFORNIA
early 1990's
Edmund L Bridgewater
The restaurant is Chinese. the clientele reflects the diversity of Santa Monica. the restaurant's location is on 11th and Wilshire.
Timothy's Santa Monica host place their order; simultaneously, from his window seat he scans what he can of Wilshire Boulevard.
She states: ' We have to make sure we order more than ten dollars each to qualify fo their advertised offer, ' Buy one get one free.'
He asks for chop sticks, after two glasses of iced water was placed on the table in front of them.
'I read Bon Jour Tristesse ages ago. ' Timothy says, audibly.
After learning of her familiarity with the French authoress - Francoise Sagan, he continued :
' You should read Aimez - vous Brahms.' He looks her straight in the eye as he makes the suggestion.
Continuing, Timothy injects , ' California, New York, Maryland and London....past, present, future....improvisation.'
He pauses to enjoy more of the tasty cuisine that he was consuming - new to his palate.
Rain and stormy weather was the forecast given - earlier.
The day had picked up early for Timothy. It was Saturday.
On his way back to the apartment on Ninth Street he spent time on the piano in the Lincoln Park Community Center rehearsing original compositions.
SANTA MONICA
mid- 1990's
Next, they visited the Channel Road Inn. Kathy, the manageress, expressed brief surprise ,before inviting them into the main hall; the spacious sitting - room for guests and visitors,with windows that allowed in day light; the kitchen and office area combined;and annexing rooms. Kathy showed the suites on the upper floor with the four poster beds and luxurious bath facility attached.
The Channel Road Inn is an original British concept - Bed and Breakfast.
Kathy ordered a cab. It arrived; and soon they were saying goodbye to her and requesting she convey their warm regards to Susan - on of the owners.
They asked the cab driver to take them to Hollywood Boulevard. As Santa Monica faded behind them, and Hollywood emerged, expectations of a different kind entered their thoughts, and resulted in dialogue between them and the driver, until they arrived on Hollywood Boulevard.
OFFERS
Overtures, peels away
a veneer of distrust;
dust feelings, dated
with rust.
A CARD
Beyond the Atlantic,
someone cares;
Four years elapse;
then a renaissance.
Edmund L Bridgewater
SARASOTA / FLORIDA
Before they left Sarasota to fly to the Eastern Caribbean, they spent a day with a Sarasota resident - Sarah, a retiree, who was sitting in a seat near them ,when they were in transit at Charlotte, en route to Sarasota.
Sarah took them for a detour around her studio, where she does her painting. The location is near Golden Gate Point. Sarah's apartment is in the Boca Siesta block on Long Boat Key.
Her studio is small; one of many on the ground floor , at street - level. The other painters in the co-op are also abstract painters. Sarah reveals that a gallery in central Sarasota had successfully exhibited her work.
They had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant. After, she drove them back to their rented apartment at Golden Gate Point.
CONFIGURING
Resignation, signals abandon;
daytime configuring, continues;
moods adjust.
Edmund L Bridgewater
Quotes from Edgar Bridgewater OBE
Japanese translation by Mieko Kato
Fukiya / Okazaki / Japan
Life is a goal - achieve it
Jinsei to wa mokuteki de aru tassei shiro
Life is a puzzle - solve it
Jinsei to wa nan mon de aru kaiketsu shiro
Life is a struggle - fight it
Jinsei to wa toso de aru tatakae
Life is a journey - complete it
Jinsei to wa tabi de aru kanketsu shiro
Life is an opportunity - take it
Jinsei to wa kikai de aru toraero
Life is a mystery - unfold it
Jinsei to wa nazo de aru kaimei shiro
Life is a game - play it
Jinsei to wa kyogi de aru shobu shiro
Life is a duty - perform it
Jinsei to wa gimu de aru hatase
Life is a tragedy - face it
Jinsei to wa higeki de aru choku shiro
Life is an adventure - dare it
Jinsei to wa boken de aru tachi mukae
Life is a gift - accept it
Jinsei to wa okurimono de aru uke to re
Life is a challenge - meet it
Jinsei to wa chosen de aru ido me
THE ART CRITIC
early 1990's mid-Manhattan
New York
" I am a grandmother."
Timothy ignored her remark by responding:
" You look young."
The art critic smiled and paused.
Drizzle, light, temporarily distracted the flow
of conversation. She interjected :
" I was going to take a taxi."
Timothy remained silent ,and she added:
" I'll be in Chicago in a few days, for
a few days."
Timothy remained quiet and she went on:
" The secondary is never ever the bi - product
of the primary."
They both admired English authors; but
differed politically. They vowed to keep
in touch.
The art critic, and the cab she took ,was barely
out of view. Standing on the New York library
steps ,a couple of flights down, was another lady,
lady, younger, and darker, than the art critic.
She engaged Timothy:
" I work for the UN. My department's focus is
ecology."
NAGOYA / JAPAN POEMS
Edmund L Bridgewater
EXPERIENCES - INNOCENT
Saturday nights were truly fun
In times gone by;
Twilight years emerging, hastily;
Triggering a rapid decline,
Of youth, and experiences -
Innocent.
BY CHANCE
Everything set;
No room to manoeuvre,
Except - by chance.
SOCIAL SLIPS
A committment, to walk by,
Daily, to view again and again,
Life at the bottom,
Of a society, taking social slips
For granted.
MOMENTUM
A rooster can be heard
Preparing to disturb
An all - night usurper
Pursuing momentum.
ELEMENTS
The past, elements of it,
Engage a mind, transfixed
In limbo; adjusting, cautiously,
To what is unseen;
Around the corner of a street,
Bits and pieces of a hard
Fought life.
AS USUAL
Face to face with myth,
Finally, I understand, that
Seeing and believing, needs
Perception as bridge,
As usual.
UNKNOWINGLY
Life in the static lane -
visible , In front of my eyes;
People, self -styled, in parks;
alternate a life style,
reminiscent of an age,
when men preferred caves,
Unknowingly.
FISH
Fish : large, small,
Housed in a moat - like pond,
For park visitors to look down
on, Care not for ecology,
Swimming around nonchalantly,
Imprisoned by a warning sign -
Sakana tsuri wo shinai yoo ni.
Edmund L Bridgewater
TWENTY FIRST CENTURY
Planet Earth on an earthly trip
Going somewhere that does't exist
A transit period preaching the word
Someone daring praising the Lord
Believers, followers, risk their all
To spread the Word
Then God, took over
And spread his Love.
Edmund L Bridgewater
PACE
Pace of daily being
stumbles along pathways
strewn with the easily
stepped over,
reluctant to tread on
that which should be
set aside for timely revision;
Journey seems like forever,
resonating, a recurring passage
of time; a mid-way station with
connecting destinations, fitting
into a life, in flux, no more ifs,
and buts; Only God.
Edmund L Bridgewater
SOMEWHERE
Somewhere on a horizon,
traces of permanence,
illuminates a sky,
with a tearful cry, mournful;
revealing loss.
Edmund L Bridgewater
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