With grace in her leap, the cheetah takes flight,

A streak of gold, in the savannah's light.

Agile and swift, in the air she soars,

A majestic dance, the wild adores.

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

Image made a Bolsa Chica

Sandhill cranes in early morning mist at Bosque del Apache NM

Three Sandhill cranes at sunset during a fly away in Bosque /del Apache NM

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

——————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————-

—————————————————————————————————-

——————————————————————————————————

Original image made as a photograph at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland. 

guard tower. original image made as a photograph at auschwitz-birkenau in poland. 

Wallets. Original image made as a photograph at auschwitz-birkenau in Poland.  

original image made as a photograph at auschwitz-birkenau in poland. 

This Lonely LA four-minute video was made in March 2020, just after the stay-at-home order.

COVID shut doors, from Disney Hall to streets,

Artists in silence, no rhythms, no beats.

LA Phil's music fades, a city's heartbreak,

Empty stages mourn, for creativity's sake.

——————————————————————————————————

Under LA's lights, where dreams should be found,

Sleep houseless souls on cold, wet ground.

One with umbrella, on stone planter sits,

COVID's cruel rain, life's hard-hitting hits.

——————————————————————————————————

In front of a Vargas mural, bold and vast,

He strolls with his Springer, future and past,

Masked up tight, COVID can't cast,

A shadow on steps, safe and steadfast.

——————————————————————————————————

A covered walkway, empty, draped in sorrow's veil,

Loneliness echoes in LA, a silent, haunting tale.

COVID's shadow, on streets once so alive,

Now, just memories, in the quiet, we strive.

——————————————————————————————————

In pandemic's tough grasp, a small diner shines bright,

Slinging burgers with heart, through the long, uncertain night.

With a ten percent discount, they stand bold and true,

A beacon of tenacity, in times dark and blue.

—————————————————————————————————-

In the heart of the city, where life's pulse is charted,

We stood six feet apart, as journeys just started.

In lines for the bus, with caution we thread,

Unity in distance, our communal pledge spread.

—————————————————————————————————-

In a city once bustling, now eerily still,

Freeway entrances lay empty, a dystopian chill.

No cars on the roads, where life used to weave,

Los Angeles silent, in the breath COVID seized.

——————————————————————————————————

Amidst jobless tears, a city's heavy sigh,

One trims a bush, under the vast sky.

By Broad's grand walls, a glimmer of glee,

In simple acts, hope's whispers set free.

——————————————————————————————————

In DTLA, where music once soared,

Angelinos mourn, Dudamel's baton stored.

The Phil silent, seats left bare,

Melancholy echoes, in the empty air.

——————————————————————————————————

In a city asleep, two souls roam in dismay,

Longing for coffee in the COVID-grey.

Shuttered shops, a caffeine dream withdrawn,

Angelinos adrift in a dawn yet unspawn.

—————————————————————————————————-

Lost in a labyrinth, COVID's cruel game,

Anger bubbles up, frustration aflame.

Which way to turn, in this dystopian plight?

Anxiety's dance, in the absence of light.

—————————————————————————————————-

In COVID's fog, minds wander, lost, unseen,

Thoughts swirl in chaos, where clarity once had been.

A world in disarray, in the virus's silent reign,

Brains clouded, grappling with an invisible chain.

——————————————————————————————————

Where Rialto once stood grand in LA LA land,

Now Urban Outfitters, a change not so planned.

Closed doors echo sadness, COVID's unseen hand,

A theater's memory, in retail's bland land.

——————————————————————————————————

As I leave LA, down the 110 in retreat,

The city's heart pulses, its rhythm bittersweet.

In COVID's long shadow, my farewell is drawn,

Heading south, a chapter closed, but memories not gone.

——————————————————————————————————

image made in manhattan beach ca.  manhattan beach pier southern california.

image made in manhattan beach ca.  manhattan beach pier southern california.

image made in manhattan beach ca.  manhattan beach pier southern california.

image made in manhattan beach ca.  manhattan beach pier southern california.

made in oregon u.s. near john day fossil beds.