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Orange Groves and Aerospace


01.11.17 Posted in today's words by

Orange Groves and Aerospace
By Linda Sonrisa                       

Small town daughters of the road—
We traveled far from frigid plains
to find sun-splashed beatnik beaches
in the wildest west we knew.

Orange groves and aerospace
set the stage
for our Space Age.
We became Ladies of LockheedNASA’s darlings.
Toiling at typewriters for bright, shiny paychecks,
tanning poolside at the Royal Gardens
just off the freshly-built freeway.

After work we drove our second-hand cars
on oleander lined byways in welcoming afternoon sunshine.
We danced at office parties,
Drank martinis, and
sent men all the way to the moon.

Mom followed us from the farm
with her escape plan.
Exploratory mission:
rescuing kittens
and a few lost astronauts.

Together we found
Husbands-to-be:
struggling scientist and wannabe hipster,
Casanovas of different stripes.
Unchangeable
from the tips of their cowboy boots
to the roots of their pomaded hair.

Camp followers of fortune
We marched new families through the years of our youth
Hearts fractured and fused,
crucified
in the zeitgeist.

The men
left
for other, newer women.
Children raised themselves
in arid suburbs
next to newly-hatched shopping malls.

We dangled our pretty bare legs
across benches at amusement parks.
Smoked cigarettes
drank Coca-cola
leaving bright lipstick
stains
On the lips
of cups.

We’d landed on the moon
and splashed down
into life.



2 Responses to “Orange Groves and Aerospace”

  1. Jimmie Ware says:

    SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. I can hear your voice and see it all…

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