UNEXPECTED POEM 1
behind them
I pretended to aim at the white
Hollywood
sign in the hills,
I clicked off a few shots
the two men changed direction,
turned toward the traffic
and waited
they saw me looking,
can you spare some money brother?
I nodded,
can I take your picture?
they nodded, stood closer together
the big fella flashed a peace sign,
behind the V of his jacket
an American flag
I took out my wallet, 3 dollars there,
one each I said
and the little guy who was still
sort of smiling, asked,
“will I be in the newspaper?”
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UNEXPECTED POEM 2
I was waiting at Union Station
an elderly man
homeless in his yellow cap
sat down next to me
talking, continuously
he was talking
and at first I didn’t understand
this wasn’t some usual
drunken-mumbling
his speaking, its expression
crazy or not
cut right through the stale
subway air—
it became clear
that this, maybe all of it
was for a person quite specific
and maybe he believed
just enough that
they would walk together again
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