More Than Just a Bench

Framed by pines and eucalyptus trees

It's a bench,
made of concrete,
glass beads 
and chips of ceramic tiles,
it could just as easily
be a log or a rock
or an open grassy spot
but it's not,
it's a bench.

Bench atop Potrero Hill, San Francisco.

It's not suprising
that it's here, where
you can quietly sit and stare
down on the neighborhood
or across the bay,
watch the comings and goings
of the early morning,
listen and say nothing.

It's a warm and sunny spot,
grass worn away
by years of feet and paws,
large and small,
scuffling along the ridge
then stopping in front of the bench
and having a sit
and likely a cigarette,
back in the day.

Its edges are round and smooth,
its surface bright and shiny,
it catches the sun
and reflects its rays
in every direction
and sometimes 
seems to glow.

It's framed by pines
and eucalyptus trees,
surrounded by the smells
of the hill and muted sounds
of the city just a few blocks away. 

It's a perfect escape 
for when things get loud
and filled with vitriol,
a perfect place
to walk to with your dog.