dirty unkempt
and with crazy eyes
cars lock their own doors
as i pass by
just a
hungover hummingbird
in search of a cigarette
i flit
from ashtray to ashtray
outside of cafes
collecting the better
once lit discarded bits
in a Camel filters box
that i found and saved for this
then on to mark
the map of the day
with small treasures
discovered ‘neath
hasty drive-thru windows
and dodging cars and comments
of ill-intent
i head to the nearest supermarket
and trade my booty
for cheap deli meat

it’s 9:30 am
and feeling full and righteous
i think that i might just
catch a nap
and on my way
to find a place to lay
my head is when
i run smack
dab
in to that
drunk
the one whose name is
i forget
and who really cares
anyway
he’s the one
who’s always slobbering drunk
and laughing
like a son of a bitch
as he stares
right in to the sun
his arm held out shaking
a bottle of KD at me
he says
get ya A pull a That
and sure as a bet
i take the bottle
swipe the lip
and get a good
long pull off it
and damn
but it tastes like
well you know
it’s really crap
but it does quench my thirst
a tad
i aint arguin that
and i hand it back
he replaces the cap
and shoves the bottle
in his pocket
and wanders away
staring
right in to the sun
cursing
friendly curses
at everyone
at
no one

it’s 10:30 am
and this day
has just begun

and i guess i’ll
scratch that nap
’cause now i’m thinkin
bout the beers on tap
at that bar that
i’m pretty damned
sure i was at
last night
and i got .30 cents left
in my pocket
and a sudden limp
and
i’m holding a sign
reads
GIMME
and i’m standin
in the middle of the road
when this guy
in a mercedes
rolls down the window
hands me a twenty
he says
don’t go blowin that
on food
or nothin
and i just laugh
like i’m crazy
and yeah cause i’m lazy
i ditch the sign
lose the limp
and run off
up the hill
and into the wind

it’s 11 am
and sure as sin
this day
aint even
begun
to begin.