Vagrancy

I worked for a while for an organic farm delivering produce to cites across the Colorado front range, some of the characters in my poetry are taken from this experience

I need vodka and cigarettes

the sign says
neatly printed

laminated, on bright white
no drab cardboard
a small childlike cartoon of

his face

adorns one corner

angry 

blood-shot eyes

stale breath

yellowing
the uneven, unwashed, unkempt
whiskers around his lips

salt and pepper hair

falls into his face

suspenders 

meant for a man
of much greater stature

barely hold 
rough woolen trousers
standard issue, Union grey

patched knees

worn of humility 

as a boy

 I'd often find myself lost

wandering through the day
as though no one but me 

had ever been

hidden

among the empty laudanum bottles

snake oil vials and
homemade holy water

the rusted tractor parts

sharp implements and dust 

was a photo 

his face
sepia silver, fishbowl finish
curling at the corners
in the faded red barn 
behind 

 my great-grand fathers 

empty homestead

it is possible to be 

completely alone

without loosing 

yourself

Reviews

[CS]

This paints an interesting kind of a picture. Very descriptive. Personally, I would just take out the last two lines of the first stanza altogether. I think the stanza speaks well enough for itself without summing up the feelings the reader should have (funny and sad).

Overall, I think this great. Like a snapshot of a moment.

[Brian Park]

thanks for you input I found it helpful. In much of my poetry I am trying to capture a very specific moment and the feeling that it invoked in me, I am glad this came across in this piece