Thursday, July 2, 2009

A Visit to Neverland

I always knew that Iowa City was a sort of neverland for me. I finally made a trip out to Iowa City after having been back in Iowa for some time, I promised some friends but more promised myself to visit this little city, where I fell in and out of love and lust with the my ideas of the world as presented to me through my Iowa City encounters, primarilarly to gage who had changed more, the town or me. I knew the answer but my heart skipped anyway as I came back into the liberal town's heart that swept me off my feet with art and academics, enthralled me with its transient people and their tales and seduced me with music and whiskey. In this university town lost boys are found, people ink their heartaches and dreams on their skin for all the world to see and survive on a steady diet of drugs and literature. One could feel their soul fly during motorcycle rides on back country roads only to deny that soul again that same night drowining it in 2 dollar you call its. Your inspiration could be found deep in a book on a street corner only to be laughed at by a hairy man who has lived homeless in this town longer than you could ever call it home. I saw this man again yesterday. You might know him and have your own stories but for me... I settled down on a bench in the quaint pedestrian mall on my first day of classes in Iowa City to enjoy my fountain coke and read whatever book I had gotten myself wrapped into. I look across when the man hacks onto the ground to find him flossing between his toes with a grimy sock on the bench straight in front of me. Best welcome wagoon ever but I suppose it serves me right for reading in his living room. This visit to Iowa City was much like running into an old lover after some time has past. I recognized the traits that captivated me and blushed at the memories but it was obvious to me that I could never love you the way someone new could now. So Iowa City, captivate someone new and make them love you, teach them to see the irony of the world and inspire them to leave you.