Page 156

By Jack Joseph Smith

S33 ing undér: the Santa :Menica Piers There-were: 01d mem . and chiildvem tees', Racked’ out’ they were) déep baci up: under: te last. poless' There were ‘sighs: of making lovej' } Tt wassdark, but: a lanterm slowed’ im the distances At. the soutli: end, someone -had’ it'-tegettior, theught: Prantie sterg! His visions ef wordly functiom were slight! Jas. a little-bit: picked! up along the way could ‘male thingss fook tight A simple ‘lanterr, doing the wick, hustling the Keresené; madé-a man's place im the worldé! Om they: walked’ enelling the fist, mfertunntely mostly: dead) not. just. resting er breeding im the night away from the fishermen! 3 eyes! . "When a-fellew growssup iz this towm Pranitster, , he - walks>inte-edblescencdy and ‘away from stiatesmenslitpy’ Theres nothing to gaim lere;! There is only the ale surdity ef the party, and the one night stand) that: is neverr even: nearly breatiloen, Hiden eet Tome 7 : "Me? Why do yew stay? You-have>the treadte: ge'te * "The Humam cemlitiem here -gotite my balla: before: itiget:te my-mimt} aml ‘now the lps! madness: has: a: clamp orm my midsection tighter than: the: temptation of pure yellow sum, blue air, turquoise waves; perl sand, and ‘sheeting stars battling betiveen animal: life in. the eavenss’ (AM) WHL Loos’=e! 24 Arp whiter wth 4 SH le wien That env feed Yor Nuow P f hire a wei wh WF VEW chenghe 2nd ‘I Hoar ‘they-lelok beggere:eround “Tilke -axke re tS, Ly )

Original Scan

Page 156

AI Interpretation

GPT

Under the Santa Monica piers, lantern light, old men, children, fishermen, one-night stands, and trapped desire become a theory of local absurdity.

The page is one of the sharper social diagnoses in the sequence. Its complaint is not simply moral but existential: the place clamps down on body and mind at once, even while nature still offers a dazzling alternative.

Claude

Under the Santa Monica piers, lantern light, old men, children, fishermen, one-night stands, and trash collect into one nocturnal social picture. The page is an evening census of the beach's lower registers.