Homage to Holy Frijoles

I'm in Hampden to pick up our fajitas
because Holy Frijoles won't deliver,
they’re one of those go-to-places for
burritos, chimichangas, refried beans.

I'm waiting for them to finalize the order,
wonder if I should chug a beer at the bar,
a cool Dos Equis, Corona with wedge of lime
but instead I skulk around back with my cell-

phone camera, still with your ABBA CD ringing
in my ears (SOS!) that I heard on the drive over:
imagine I'm decked in turquoise spandex
and platform boots as I photograph detritus

left from the snow -- a crushed Bud can, myriad
cigarette butts and some mysterious eye graffiti
by the sign where the bank threatens to tow my car.
Finally, stroll back down the side of Frijoles, snap

the pictographs on the wall of the Aztecs
who used to populate Hampden centuries ago.



Christopher T. George

* Hampden is a working class area of Baltimore
maybe a bit akin to Wavertree in some respects.
It has recently become yuppified with trendy
restaurants, clothing boutiques, antique stores.
The neighborhood is a favorite place of movie
maker John Waters and he and I live about the
same distance from the place.