By Karl Abrams

I’m concerned with the Spontaneous Poet
that dreamy visitor who drives in to our
Coastal Venice by the sea, without warning
bringing peace in character and freedom of spirit,
Visitor or Venetian, who teaches and talks into the
night
leaving a trusty parked car without OPD permit.
Perhaps it’s a Walt Whitman, a Pablo Naruda or a
Mary Getlein,
who spends a tired and spontaneous night
at my carefree Venice house.
Who, after a few glasses of wine,
sleeps on my couch without OPD permission
rather than risk a life
driving back home alone.
I’m concerned with the Spontaneous Lover
Visitor or Venice rover,
who parks near the misty coast
and dreams innocent songs of Love, at most,
told by some among us
that they’re just too afraid of
his or her nightly unpermitted presence and too afraid
to let them sleep through the night
to wake again in a new and Free
Venice morning by the sea.

This poem was read by Karl Abrams in front of the
California Coastal Commission at the June 13 hearing
concerning OPDs in Venice