Momentary Hollywood Stardom Poem by Alexandre Nodopaka

Every time a distinguished guest, and they all are,
arrives at my home for a courtesy visit, we discuss
at first our respective health.

Once past the peccadilloes of silent heart attacks,
ongoing diabetes, skin tags due to food overindulgence,
loss of teeth due to wear and tear and the extraordinary

prices to replace them we realize that our retirement
checks are not designed to take into account the silent
inflation and realize we must take up arms and alter

this abysmal state of affairs. Anyway, after mutual
back-scratching I usually propose to escort them to the
Hollywood strip so we can shuffle over past stardoms

laid out before sleazy gift shops lining the famous
boulevard. However, once past the Grumman's Museum
with its attending street bit stars and posing with Marilyn

or Batman depending on how many kids we have in tow
I propose we eat around the corner where Peter Falk
allegedly killed his wife and just last night that random

murder of 30-old woman passerby shot to death with a
shotgun in the back of her head. Sadly she doesn't even
know she's dead. Well, OK, maybe she does and is happy

she doesn't have to look for a job or sell her body to pay
for her mortgage or worry about ISIS. I comment
in passing for my visiting companions to duck any drive by

shooting because I have another hour to drive back home
and don't want it delayed by some stupid life quirk.
Good bye Carrie Jean Melvin.