Paesano of Gulf Circle

the gulf circle is where brown pelicans dive for their dinner over the heads of the hungry masculine wood storks looking men swarming in schools like shark preying on beautiful elderly women for they jewels life savings retirements pensions property and real estate anything he deems of value wearing khakis by day tropical shirts baring parrots coconuts both hands in their sunken empty pockets scouring dreams and life savings of grandmothers and somebody's aunts strolling along the antique shops thrift shops following artists writers thrive awaiting a time to dive his prey shoulders raised and back knees knocked feet flat turned outward over canvas looking penny loafers he smells of cheap hair tonic his eyes lock beneath dark sunglasses while the woman approaches big straw hat beach bag retired poet brilliant writer removing her own book she took years to write the pink flamingo sings a warning for all ladies sunbathing to watch out run for cover while his knees pop and stretch backwards he opens his long beak of a nose and grunts he raises the longest arms unusually thin smooth fingers as if he never lifted not one of them to work ever he snatches the old woman book spilling her pink grapefruit juice grabbing her change purse retrieving her coin collection finally the last coin falls a very rare Abraham Lincoln penny he picks it up the woman cries contadino contadino he mumbles quickly removes one of his tattered and warn penny loafer places the rare coin inside his shoes strolls along simply singing the blues