"More Than A Sign" (a Love Letter to Hollywood)

 "More Than A Sign" 

(a Love Letter to Hollywood) 

 .

HOME is vintage clothing shops
And complicated parking signs
Home is cold brew coffee spots
Deadline, Variety, The LA Times
 
HOME's red carpets and premiers
Screenings, scripts, the Strip, the Pier
Big sunglasses, Rodeo Drive
Traffic on the 405
 
Photo shoots on every corner
Gluten-free pizza, made to order
Disney, MOCA, Petersen
The Hollywood Hills, the stage of Friends
 
Buskers on the Promenade
The Marathon, The Pride Parade
Second City, Groundlings, UCB
Four hours at the DMV
 
HOME is dreams just out of reach
Tacos, Smog, and Muscle Beach
Wardrobe changes in the car
West side? H'll no. That's too far.
 
Big Boy on a Friday night
A new premier goes up in lights
Take the Canyon to the Valley
Locals never call it "Cali".
 
Aroma, Hugo's, Erewhon
What time are the Emmy's on?
Sleep all day and dance all night
(Yoga really saved my life!)
 
HOME. Where Fire is a season
Not wearing sunscreen's major treason
Funny tan lines, dogs in strollers
Everybody's got a chauffeur?
 
Movies at the Cemetery
Half-caff latte, hold the dairy!
New York Streets and Walk of Fame
Desert springs, but seldom rain
 
HOME is cruising Sunset Drive
Concerts at The Bowl, with wine
Wildwood, Runyon, Fryman Hiking
Never ending A-list sightings
 
Waterworld at Universal
Squeezing in that last rehearsal
Pantages and El Capitan
(My effing call-time changed again
  
Gigs that sometimes pay the bills
Parties in the Hollywood Hills
Cocktails at the Little Door
Whisky, Roxy, Troubadour
 
Meryl Streep is LA's Queen
Oppenheimer, Angelyne
Drag, Rock, Retro, or Glam
To "Know thyself" means "know thy Brand"
 
Comic Con and Anime
The Pasadena Rose Parade
The Roosevelt, The Montalbán
(What channel are the Grammy's on?)

Farmers Market, finding calm
Elvis singing at the Palms
Masterclasses, Workshops, training
It's been 6 months, and still not raining

Taxed like crazy, rent is high
Screenplays fall right from the sky
Blu Jam, Mary's, Gratitude
"So-n-So's with Who's Who"

Home is Magic made on set
Wrapping late with no regrets
Early call time, still awake
Anyone just feel that quake?
 
From Capital Records to Disney Hall
Edith Head and casting calls
Hyper-sports and classic cars
There's more to Hollywood than "Stars"

Home is bonfires at the shore
Descanso Gardens, record stores
Sunrise / sunset, meditation
Home- to me- s a permanent vacation 
 
And I miss it so.
      And can't wait to come HOME.

                                                       -Lisa Catara

 
                                                                                 ~


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