Only when I know what line to take & where I really am when I exit, can can say I know the DC Metro system – but it’ll be useful for future reference. I did make my way down to the Trolley Tour pick up spot in Thursday morning. Resisted the temptation to hop off the tour at Union Station – saving that for Monday. Driver was fun, personality plus is part of the job description. Same stops but a different route getting to them.
Got off at Lincoln Memorial. It’s hard to feel any sense of awe with so many people taking shots with selfie sticks. The space is grand & designed for maximum impact but with so many people milling around that impact is dampened. I did get some decent shots.
Also took in the near by Korean War memorial. Amazing concept & superb realization. Google for real details please – a squad of larger than life militiary size figures prowl the ‘jungle’ the troop is reflected in a highly polished marble wall. Fascinating & frustrating – once again people jockeying for pictures pulls focus. But I was moved by the concept, the execution & the reverence. One could be reflected in the same wall at the same time as these soldiers. Eerie and evocative.
Different driver different ‘trolley’ for the rest of the tour – again same stops but different route & different guide comments – I enjoy the variety. Was particularly amused by someone on the street shouting ‘that’s not a real trolley’ – gee I hadn’t realized that awe weren’t on rails until then. 
Hit another meeting on my way back to the hotel – same place on DuPont Circle – format wrinkle: everyone says the steps in unison. Relaxed back at hotel. Out for dinner around 6 – found the Keegan Theatre were the Fire daytime events happen Saturday & Sunday – pretty close to my hotel. Then made my way to Mulebone – formally Eat Street. New chef, new name, same restaurant. Changed menu. Tried the buttermilk fried chicken with kale – it was a big portion, perfectly spicy (I was asked if I wanted hot sauce & I said ‘not if you did your job right’). I had the banana pudding for dessert, it was okay but nothing special. I’d order the chicken again but try one of the other desserts the next time.
Another full day of being a typical tourist. The real fun starts when Fire kicks off Friday night.
Accused=Guilty
they bond over Bowie
sharing memories of first hearing
Ziggy Stardust
Young Americans
Low
the old stuff
even the younger-than’s
fall back to those older times
no one says ‘let’s dance’
gave them a sense of hope
they bond
then the ties fray
Bowie was human
after all
allegations of rape
sex with the underaged
when he was in his twenties
they see this 69 year old man
of today
toying with the panties
of a fragile unwilling teenage girl
context gets lost
in this wash of language & image
with this need to now judge
to put his reputation into perspective
allegations become convictions
deeds that may
or may not have happened
decades ago
now become proven facts
evidence is irrelevant
accomplishments are diminished
actions that may or may not have happened
when he was a drunk druggy in his 20’s
are condemnations
actions we might forgive any drunken druggy
once he’d learned better
are now presented
because of who he became
as if there is a need to get even
to question rape allegations
becomes a rape apologist
so it’s easier to just shake one’s head in dismay
than confront
this invested-in
denying me the right to feel grief
Here’s my DC experience 2015: http://wp.me/P1RtxU-1e3
on going 🙂 when new podcast are posted: Deliciously iTunes
June 3-5: attending: Capturing Fire 2016 –
check out these poets from Capturing Fire 2015: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx5KD1eDccdjdTdQ28kZRNg
June 11, Saturday – attending: The Toronto Poetry Talks – 10 AM – Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3C6
https://www.facebook.com/events/147955055574679/
June 12, Sunday – participating: Michael Matheson – The Axe and the Scalpel – Editing Your Own Work 1:00 pm – Bakka-Phoenix Books – 84 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2H7
September 1-4: attending FanExpo 2016 (I’ve already registered)
https://www.facebook.com/fanexpocanada/?fref=ts
November 1 – 30 Participating NaNoWriMo
Hey! Now you can give me $$$ to defray blog fees & buy coffee in Washington – sweet,eh? paypal.me/TOpoet
Like my pictures? I post lots on Tumblr
TOpoet 
Accused = Guilty could be about so many of our “stars”, especially upon their death. Great post. Glad to hear you’re having a good time in DC. It’s fun to see a familiar place through someone else’s eyes.