North Beach, At Night

Bill Mercer’s Question Project opened its fourth installment at the Live Worms Gallery yesterday.  Five poets—Stephanie Manning, Buford Buntin, Mark Johnson, Jack Hirschman, George Marchi—and artist Edward Millet, gave poetic responses to Bill’s black ink, brush stroke artworks.  Chuck Bernstein played the berimbau.  North Beach wine hostess Lonnie set up a table serving wine and juice, and the beat was on.

San Francisco’s poetic luminaries made their appearances.  Bill’s project has pulled the community together by involving artists and poets to express themselves around a theme.  The place began to thin out around nine o’clock.  A man walked in with his own bottle of wine was asked to put it down.  “A new face,” Lonnie said.  She knew everyone.  Another man came in, not so steady on his feet.  Soon there were three of them.  They were not there for the artworks.  It took a while before Bill could politely usher the men out the door and lock it.

Just after Lonnie left, a small woman knocked.  She wanted to use the toilet.  OK.  Bill said.  When she came out she eyed the opened bottle that was left on the table.

“May I have a cup?”  She asked to no one in particular, and began helping herself.

Bill came over.  “No.”  He said.  His big body hovered over her.

Instead of leaving, the woman sat down on Bill’s chair and whined.  “Why you bein’ mean ta me?  Ah jus whon a cup with ice, that all.”

Bill did better than that.  He filled the cup with ice and poured a full cup of wine.  The woman followed him to the door.  He handed her the cup when she walked out.

“They said over at the Trieste, if Live Worms doesn’t have wine at a show it’s not worth going.”  Someone chuckled.

The alcohol level was becoming more and more saturated as the night wore on.  When I walked into the street the bars were filled with people.  Someone behind me was rushing.  I could hear her high-heels stomping on the ground.  I moved away.  She stumbled and plastered herself on a restaurant window.  Young, blond, well dressed, stoned.