Former Groupie Hates Influencers

She graced the cover of an important arty magazine
looking much like Twiggy
all big eyes and early 70s corkscrew tendrils
skin smooth as an alabaster pond

A year later she was dating the drummer of Deep Purple
I wonder if he appreciated what a good artist she is.
Her list of accolades, fifty years later, is impressive

She stopped wearing eye makeup ten years ago
It's irritating, she shrugs
her older, very wealthy husband
whom she has loved for 30 years
now has Alzheimer's
There's nothing to look forward to
she says
It's all downhill from here 

She and her declining husband 
now spend summers in Santa Barbara
where they lived (after London) for years

Her Phoenix house was her pandemic project
All white, glass, and contemporary luxury;
surely one of the best art collections in the state.

She's taken a group of five of us to lunch
Scottsdale's newest upscale restaurant
it overlooks all the mountains,
including Camelback
which really does look like a camel's back

When we arrive,
loud music is playing
she frowns
Ridiculous, she declares
This isn't a nightclub!

There's a group of dressed up young women
in fascinator hats.
One sits alone at a table,
as if daring someone
to write a short story about her.
She seems to dislike her the most

They're probably all influencers she spits.
She seemed to detest them on sight
She gets the loud music turned down
Nothing she can do about the women.

She grew up on a farm
Moved to LA when she was 18
I knew nothing she tells me
Nothing at all.
But LA soon knew her

Now 
Southern California still knows her.
She loves her art world
and her close friends,
most of whom are younger
with healthy partners.

Her voice grows animated
when she talks about the house they're renting this year
(no desire to own any more with the hills crumbling down)
it's close to the beach,
beautiful pool area
great views
i hope she enjoys it
and then enjoys looking forward to it
when she returns to Phoenix in October
(hopefully after looking forward to that).

There's always something to look forward to

There has to be.