Kenny Gwena Poet Elegy

Transient Man

He said it out loud, as if for them to hear
I think I'm done here
Departure time has drawn near
He said it again, like a song

He said he would fold his clothes
Place them in a grocery bag
Which he did, and lit a pipe. He had a pipe
He had found it in a pile of rubbish
At first he thought it gross

But then he said, who cares
A pipe is a pipe
When it rains I'll clean it up and smoke
Who would ever know? 
A pipe is a pipe

In the station
He waited for the train to arrive
People get ready
He took a puff
A trail of smoke rose into the ceiling
A mother glared and moved her child and bags 
Into a far corner
The transient man observed

He lit up his secret world with half a smile
A song came on and time stopped
His world crashed within a fraction of a second
If it was by design, it was a sign
If it was random it was random, he'd take it

I wish they would quit writing songs about me
This world is so confusing
Everywhere I go someone breaks something
Every time I start to relax
Something gives
And I can't help wondering why
I don't know because I don't know
I don't know because I can't
I just don't know. It's like that

He shrugged his shoulders and dust rose
Landing on other parts of his tattered coat
Like a faithful dog. Dust is a faithful dog

Someone sprayed something from a can
And a new freshness pervaded the hobo's space
Cosmic dry humor. He sucked his teeth
I wish they would quit pushing me inside

All I want is my freedom
I don't want to fit in. I am not a fool
I don't want to be ruled
When he was done thinking this

He opened his eyes and met 
A string of cold eyes, staring at him
Why's everybody looking at me?
I don't know because I don't know
I don't know because I can't
I just don't know. It's like that

But I know my way around this town
I can put a face to every name that's a name
I know all the corners of this town, and its nouns
I've lived here all my life, neither freak nor pimp
Definitely not the fresh prince
Everybody thinks I stink

So I will not leave
This is my last morsel of sanity
So I will not drop it 
I will not leave it for Mr. Garbage Man to put away
I will not leave
But I will leave the stinking station

And with that he was gone
Laden with his observation, he went 
Back to his street and saw more things
Police and thieves in the streets
And pushers of pseudo-pharmaceuticals
And buyers and burdened with buyer's remorse
But still coming back for more
There's a guy who had seen it all

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