I’m strollin’ Babylon by the Bay
in North Beach when the storm
swamps the Bay Bridge
blowing down trees on Telegraph Ave.

Treasure Island is underwater and
Alcatraz is sinking in surf
The sign on the de Young museum
reads “closed due to inclement weather”

A streetcar is stuck on Nob Hill
the strip joints and bars
are nearly empty on Broadway
and lunch is canceled in Chinatown

While the mayor is getting toasted
at Town Hall I’m groovin’ with Buddha
in the Old Shanghai where Jazz is still alive
on Steward Street in San Francisco