Raindogblue

Superstitious

Tonight is New Year's Eve.
At the stroke of midnight,
If I'm not going code to call,
you'll find me under hard cover.

Lucky

Willie Thompson was not to be found. Gone from his haunts the last two weeks, the few people who care about him called dispatch. 

Days let the call sit. It was moldy by the time I cleared the barn.

In the wait, the incident resolved itself. Willie re-emerged. He'd been holed up in a hotel for the duration of the ice and snow, housed by a homeless advocacy group.

Few transients are so lucky.

It's Over

It's over.
My vacation has come and gone.
My day starts early with 13:30 court.
I expected to exhausted by shift's end.

Turkey

It was dead.
It was dark,
the night after a holiday.

Kappy and I were car to car

in the back parking lot

of Our Holy Lady,

providing extra patrol.

A pillar of black smoke

rose from the center of the East Village

piercing the clouds tainted pink by light pollution.

Kappy called it in

as we shot down the streets

looking for the fire.

Ten blocks away, smoke smothered the street,

we found fire in a back yard spouting over the fence

between the house and the unattached garage.

Kappy gave the update.

I grabbed the fire extinguisher from the prowler

We breached the back fence.

Ten feet of flames extended into the sky. 

The corner of the house and garage 

facing the fire were black.

The edges becoming embers.

The flame's font, a frothing steel pot

boiling over with oil:

Another deep fried turkey fire.

Kappy pulled the cord.

I waved in Fire with my Mag-lite.

The owner erupted from the house.

"What are you doing in my yard? Get out!"

I pointed to the glowing embers on the garage

and his house and said,

Trying to save your house.

Is that okay?

Extra Patrol

Extra Patrol is a misnomer. 

Extra patrol assumes officers patrol 

every place in their districts everyday.

Doesn't happen.

Not possible.

There's too much land 

and too many people.

An Extra Patrol is jargon for focused patrol.

At each roll call, the sergeant reads 

extra patrol request from the all box,

asking officers to stop and look at property.

The owner maybe away.

Transients might be sleeping

on the stoop after hours.

Foot traffic from suspected dope

houses are increasing.

There's a hundred reasons.

An officer or two will stop

by for a few days, and then,

concentrate on the latest 

extra patrol requests. 

Red Light

Icicle

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas

Blue Christmas