We Got It Wrong In Northern California Poem by Raj Dronamraju

This is where they hiked in woods, slept in tents, and hunted deer
And this where we stomped on a cold beach to keep our feet warm
These are the posted warning signs we obeyed on a Northern California beach
"Dangerous surf, hazardous cliff, shark area"

Now we wish we could replay the moment; only with ourselves in it
Instead of acting only as bystanders
This is where we watched other people from the sidelines
This is where we didn't get involved

We got it wrong….
We were rough and surly when the times called for gentle and polite
We were chaste and celibate when the times called for free love
We were close minded conservatives when the times called for open minds
We were tea totaling aesthetes when the times called for mother nature induced head trips

That fear was a ferry boat bringing commuters across San Francisco Bay
It brought the fear to every borough and neighborhood of our mind
And made us shut-ins afraid of going out and being part of real life scenes
Silence mistook for depth, silence mistook for atmosphere

These were the mistakes made in Northern California
Now I can get out and into the face of the day's pitfall pageant
Now I am strong enough to kill a goose
Slit open its belly but find no golden eggs inside