My Cardboard Balcony

Moroccan Wine by Belinda Roddie You say you've watched Casablanca a dozen times, and yet when I recite the classic lines, you draw a blank. You don't know where's looking at who, kid. And you can't seem to remember Sam playing anything in the lounge. When it's time to throw dice and try roulette, you're more comfortable, and when I pour you Moroccan wine, you approve of the flavor. Somewhere, a plane is landing, and an officer is demanding that the usual suspects be rounded up. I am disillusioned by you, but I find it funny that you showed up in gray, and I wore blue.

When you live in Los Angeles, you get used to the smog. For me, the closest thing to a skyline was when I could spot the faint outline of a nearby hill close to the horizon outside my window. I had almost forgotten about stars entirely until my friend Eli took me on a camping trip. I was amazed to see three shooting stars when I thought it was lucky to find one. I hoped that all my wishes came true - one of them was to leave California.