Attempting always to address
some keen unnerving need
Charlie kneels
knowing his luckless lunges
over awkward interior obstacles
must continue come waters high
or devilish delays,
genuflects ingenously
and t’rows dem bones.
May as well attempt
to indemnify the dust or
legislate immunity for all
who bend to clownish lusts
each winter spring summer fall
thinks Charlie
while wildly wishing
for naturals and losing lousy wages
to shady street-sages
among the alley-blight
behind the 7-11
come Friday night.
Once was precocious courage fluid
where now a clotted porridge
of bad gambling and easy excuses
clogs the artless arteries of
an also-ran on a bender,
nor king nor prince nor true contender.
For all that feeble failure
sighing Charlie,
weathered but unwithered,
bangs down a few beers
in the weak light
of his cramped quarters,
forgets his lonely loins long enough
to summon the elusive Muse
to his over-waxy ears,
press the gnawed nub of a #2
to a ripped and wrinkled scrap
from his linty pockets salvaged
and in a crabbed cursive scrawl,
almost youthfully bold,
“ Please, God,
spare this sinner
who cannot bear to see
but one good, gentle girl
beneath your clean
baptismal snow go cold.”
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