Chinatown Nights
The exotic allure
Chinatown Nights
Firecrackers line broken
sidewalks, lighting the narrow corridors.
Dollar t-shirts, penny souvenirs
blanket lantern studded
walkways.
Garish painted buildings with
laundry hanging from windows
facing East.
It’s quiet now, after midnight
the cultural display has my
imagination wandering
down back alleys where hookers
play masseuse, back rooms where
five card stud is on tap.
Wilted produce, dried fish
are locked in storefronts, food for
hungry vermin.
The exotic allure has me exploring my wild side.
I always loved Chinatown here in San Francisco. As a local I very much enjoyed going there and playing tourist.
After my two trips to Hong Kong in March in 2005 and 2008 I came home craving the Asian culture.
I have a very dear friend who is a jazz singer and performed regularly at the Ritz Carlton which is in the Chinatown area. After her performances if I didn’t have a ride home, I would always call a taxi as it was usually after midnight I would head home.
However since Chinatown was a block away I would always walk the area down to Union Square to grab a taxi. Why? Because walking around at night in Chinatown brought me memories of being in Hong Kong. It was that Asian allure that had me experiencing the culture.
Now, in Hong Kong, walking around after midnight is just like wandering around during the day. Streets are filled with locals and tourists and you always feel safe.
Back here at home, especially these days there is no way I would walk anywhere at night, I’m sad to say.
In any case this is the background story to my poem.
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