With the city on lockdown, I’ve been missing a lot of things. One of these things was Photoshop, but thanks to SMW, I can make weird stuff again! Stuff like the featured image for this post. My first idea was completely different than what I ended up with, but I’m really happy with the result. If you’re confused about the text, my inspiration was the timestamps that cheap digital cameras from the 2000s that would print in the corner. I didn’t have a particular date in mind besides, “not now.” So, I tweaked it a bit. And I’m really happy with how it came out! Something I’ve missed even more than Photoshop is taking the bus everywhere. You would’ve never guessed from my column, right? I not only miss taking the bus, but hearing it too. The 33 used to rumble past my house without fail every 30 minutes or so, but the silence now is somehow louder. I even wrote a poem about it! Because I’m cheesy and using capitalization is So. Much. Work. Anyways, here it is for your reading pleasure.
i miss muni
the hustle and bustle
hearing the 33 out of my window
watching the 24 struggling over these san francisco hills
taking the M to school
tapping in through the gates
proof of payment
and proof i was here and existed
even if i was just a couple of extra dollars in SFMTA’s pocket
the television screen windows of these new futuristic trains
looking out,
imagining my life as an a24 movie
it’s not
but muni rides make me feel like it could be
even if i would just be an extra
emerging from these underground stations
like a mole coming out of my hole
blinking in the sunlight (or usually, fog)
already missing the warm glow of overhead lights flickering in the dark
and a time and space
to contemplate, to read, to imagine, to listen, to watch, to remember
even if it’s just for these fifteen minutes
without muni, san francisco is just another place to live
but not somewhere to explore
and i miss it
even if it’s not gone
just waiting
