18th & Castro

Photo by Rui Magalhães on Unsplash

A colorful street corner, now
People fought for their freedom here
Marched. Absorbed blows. Sacrificed.
In the eighties, men died in droves
Took care of each other
While elected leaders stood idly by.
And today,
A rickety blue sedan screeches to a halt in the intersection
A woman with dreadlocks tumbles out of the car
Snaps a selfie with a pair of hippie ladies, suddenly
They exchange hugs and well wishes
The sedan starts on its third try
And disappears in a black plume of exhaust
The pair hug and scatter
And then there is an empty corner
People walking about,
None seeing either thing
That transpired there.