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