Veins & Other Vulnerable Pathways

Written by  Kate Rosenberg

The more a facility resembles the
neighborhood in which it resides and the
more autonomous the facility residents, the
more likely residents will integrate into the
community1.

My car smells like it has been cooking meth in its trunk. Parked: 4 spaces from the left. Women incoming with fragrant garbage bags. Direct route from detox & famous last words. In the littlest bathroom there is regular peeing in a cup. Word of mouth is that location of clean pee is in eye droppers in vaginas. Other words are of mouths of ghosts, lounging, comfortable at last: polygamists lived in this house first. Then came the craziest of the crazies. Finally/now: women busted & us (women not [yet] busted [in the same way] [yet]).

Directions: GPS looks the other way. The eyes of the system are cold positioned. Want to get a good look at them/drunks/whores/junkies? Pioneer Park: 400 S. 4th W. My eyes are slits through the city; I will see her. & I will see her. & I will see that warm pills in a cold car are less glamourless than I have been told. My car smells like creosote & your guilt, your guilt, your guilt, your guilt, you're guilty, my guilt. The largest living cottonwood tree lives is in this yard. We have become proprietary; won't share our riches. There's not much to say about a tree, but you can kick it.

Google Maps has gotten lost on its way to 6856 S. 700 East. What you see is not the place you think it is. We should all be ashamed of building privacy fences. I don't believe in shame. You'll know you've made it when you see a large metal box on the corner. It's got 8 locked doors. Ours is full of prisoner ID #'s. Welfare office. Grandmothers. The last bill of the last magazine/:FASHION FOR WOMEN. Return addresses find their homes on the top left corner. Turn right when you've arrived.

1 Jason, Leonard A. et al, "Counteracting 'Not in My Backyard': The Positive Effects of Greater Occupancy within Mutual-help Recovery Homes," J Community Psychol. 2008 September 1; 36(7): 947–958.

 

Additional Info

  • Location: 6856 S. 700 E. - a women’s shelter for victims of domestic violence