At the Cross Club by Chipka
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Description
They come to make peace with themselves. They come to enjoy the comforts that strangers allow one another, when the need for peace outweighs all other concerns. They come with friends. They come alone. Dogs are not allowed, but there may be cats among them…at least one cat, if the eye’s memory is correct in its recall.
Some among them wear the scruff of haphazard grooming. Others wear scars. It is not unusual to see a hand devoid of its normal compliment of fingers. Their markings, their scruff, and their diminutive truncations do not detract from the flow of their warmth, their rakish humor, or their common predisposition to heartfelt existentialist rambling.
“My English is not good…oh, I’m so stupid!” One of them may declare to you by way of greeting.
“Today is a good day,” another may inform you. “I woke up this morning and walked in the rain. There was half a cigarette in my pocket.” You know what half a cigarette means: enough nicotine to forestall an hour of the frayed nerves. You have a pack of cigarettes, and to the one who declared the good day, you spare three, making him promise to smoke only half of the last one, so that tomorrow, he will have another good day.
He smiles at you and says something in Czech, touching his chest with both hands as if cradling his heart. He walks away from you later, whiffs of cigarette smoke drifting behind him like ghostly kelp in the strangest of deep-sea currents.
****
I'd gone to the Cross Club two nights ago, armed with my camera. I went with two new friends, and we spent all night (until 5am closing) within the otherworldly confines of the bar. The conversations quoted above are all things said to me/us during the course of the night.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, commenting and (hopefully) enjoying this image. Thank you for the views and comments for my previous works, and hopefully you're all having a great weekend.
Comments (16)
Janiss
A great, great atmosphere and this light and colors are marvelous... an amazing capture Chip!
vlaaitje
I bet you had a good time, looks a nice place to me to chill
NekhbetSun
Once again, awesome story and pic Chip...your writing blows me away ~
JaneEden
Wow, colour, texture, fun and mood, it has it all - congratulations Chip - hugs Jane xx
romanceworks
All the colors of the rainbow are here ... even the pot of gold in the glasses of beer.:o) It all has a very bohemian feel and your words bring the characters to life, making them match the colors surrounding them. Another wonderful combo of prose and picture. CC
RobyHermida
Excellent !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
beachzz
As always, you've captured the total feel and mood of this place, I can hear the voices and music, feel the energy, I'll just grab a chair and hang out with you for a while!!
MagikUnicorn
Excellent shot!
mbz2662
A wonderful narrative to go with this awesome photo. I was first struck by the wonderful colors and the light, and then the abstract quality of this fantastic capture! Great shot Chip. It is good to see things through anothers view sometimes!
Valerie-Ducom
Excellent picture with this view and nice choice with this vivid color ! as always, it's a fantastic mood ! Good day :)
MrsLubner
I enjoy visiting places like this from time to time and brushing against different lives and different views of it. In fact, tonight I am expected to slip in to a watering hole and hoist a few with the "regular' crowd. I will sit and laugh, cry and exclaim with people I see once or twice a year and yet, the talk will be almost a direct quote from our last meeting. This is a great shot and the pov really makes it a voyer-type shot...very appropriate for this mood.
ledwolorz
Super shot.
rainbows
Your narrative is so wonderful to read. I feel like I am with you in this club, chip. Wonderful work and words to match. Hugs. Diane.
shahlaa
You do the dark shots so well Chip...beautiful writing as always...you have a beautiful gift of writing...Bravo!
tofi
A common excursion for these citizens, allowing dusk to merge into dawn through laughter and games and nicotine. Like the night owl, they pass the night awake and than sleep through the daily travails of the rest. But although perhaps a familiar setting to some, this scene is common no more. For, your camera and words have injected a wonderfully inspired existential mood into the otherwise hapless place. A wonderful feat.
NefariousDrO
I love the lighting, this high-contrast works so well. Your words are so poetic, it almost makes me feel like I'm a part of the place.