Thinking is as unpleasant as walking in the rain
That’s why I still live in Los Angeles
I’d rather tackle one unpleasant thing
at a time, I’d rather cling to the illusion of control

I followed you here but it’s my city now
I think you’re still here but I can’t feel you so
you’re as good as dead
You’re as good as gone

Yesterday I read an awful book of
poetry about LA, cover to cover
It didn’t make me think at all
which was a pleasant respite, and it also didn’t rain

Palms line my psyche now
like they line South Windsor
They sprout from the frets of my lover’s guitar
Elliott Smith died in the house across the street 

But the palm in his front yard
singular, scraggly
will live to be 500
I just Googled it

Zoe Kemp is a writer and strength coach. She received her PhD in Comparative Literature and Culture from the University of Southern California.