An Attempted Ballad for the Surfing Madonna
Suddenly, she appeared
on a concrete wall--
the first person in the history of the world
to surf beneath the railroad bridge
on Encinitas Boulevard.
Radiant and beautiful,
she carved the face
of a truly glassy wave
accompanied by a message
in glowing gold--
Save the Ocean.
Clothed in a swirling robe
(she never needs a wetsuit)
hands held together closely--
the microphone for prayers to God--
she's never said a word of complaint
to those who referred to her
as nothing more than graffiti--
never uttered a word of protest
when she was forcibly removed
and hauled away to live
in some indoor place,
away from the ocean
she obviously cared about.
We know it's usually a good idea
to get permission,
and some would say
it's a good idea to think ahead--
be smart.
But when you're brave enough
and guided by the Good
you already know how tedious
it can be when waiting for a commission
or the blessing from an officially unholy division--
where some believe you need
committees and the government
to get things done.
I don't think I'm the only one
who believes that approach
is almost guaranteed
to take too long
while it tries to figure out
exactly how to surgically extract
every element of fun.
For a length of time,
the artist remained anonymous--
unknown to most of us.
But when Patterson stepped up--
discarded invisibility,
he addressed the issue
with articulate civility.
The City robbed him of a sum of money
and he reluctantly took Madonna down,
but did she stay down?
She certainly did not.
Resurrected, she's now surfing
the south side of the street
on permanent display.
Silently, she surfs her favorite break
while backed-up enthusiastically
by many in the city
while hundreds sit in awe behind her
eating pizza and spaghetti.
Let her ride
her big blue wave
and remember why
a work of art is not a crime.
Artists don't belong
in court or locked up into cages.
The rest of us understand--
she's a local surfer girl,
a work of art--
a creation for the ages.
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