The Wet Ghost of Junipero Serra
Travis Stephens | Poetry, Summer 2025
On the north side of Los Angeles
it is raining.
My wife reports “Here is pouring
and the dog hates it.”
She is third generation Angeleno,
my heart’s blood bride.
It is a California dog,
who hates the rain,
short-haired & worried
& too early to remind me
Time to feed me
before coffee, before light,
before any chance of rain.
It is pouring across town.
Going to get here too.
Geographically, LA is a huge place.
Historically, it is a dry place,
hot pepper, squash & corn,
straw hats & Catholic bells.
Every city deserves a patron saint.
Bless me Father
for I have not brought pesos.
Take my last chicken.
My best blanket.
May it keep you warm tonight
if not dry.
__________________________________________
Why is this piece your Trace Fossil?
“This piece is my Trace Fossil as it resonates with the sense of history I experience while in Los Angeles. Yes, I know it has a short Western history. The Indigenous history is the one this poem tries to bottle a scent of. I seek the scent of LA past in August mornings when the dew is fleeing, abandoning a dirt that hasn't seen rain since March. All is fleeting.”
Travis Stephens is a tugboat captain who lives and works with his family in California. His book of poetry, skeeter bit & still drunk (2022), was published by Finishing Line Press.
The Wet Ghost of Junipero Serra
Travis Stephens | Poetry, Summer 2025
On the north side of Los Angeles
it is raining.
My wife reports “Here is pouring
and the dog hates it.”
She is third generation Angeleno,
my heart’s blood bride.
It is a California dog,
who hates the rain,
short-haired & worried
& too early to remind me
Time to feed me
before coffee, before light,
before any chance of rain.
It is pouring across town.
Going to get here too.
Geographically, LA is a huge place.
Historically, it is a dry place,
hot pepper, squash & corn,
straw hats & Catholic bells.
Every city deserves a patron saint.
Bless me Father
for I have not brought pesos.
Take my last chicken.
My best blanket.
May it keep you warm tonight
if not dry.
______________________________________
Why is this piece your Trace Fossil?
“This piece is my Trace Fossil as it resonates with the sense of history I experience while in Los Angeles. Yes, I know it has a short Western history. The Indigenous history is the one this poem tries to bottle a scent of. I seek the scent of LA past in August mornings when the dew is fleeing, abandoning a dirt that hasn't seen rain since March. All is fleeting.”
Travis Stephens is a tugboat captain who lives and works with his family in California. His book of poetry, skeeter bit & still drunk (2022), was published by Finishing Line Press.