DustbinsA Poem by JamesThird town in three years, and a job in the mill, cleaning dustbins at night. It’s minimum wage, but you get Labor Day off, and enough money left over on payday to buy a carton of cigarettes and a case of beer. Lot rent is due every Saturday Don't forget to pay the light bill. The damn school needs more money? Day's are too short and nights too long. Kids are raising themselves-- And you see them, every day on your drive to the office and when you drop your kids off at school but you’re too busy to notice the dirty jeans, and shaved haircut of the kid who just hopped off the bus and is rushing to the cafeteria for his first meal since school lunch yesterday, weekends are cold pop-tarts and stale-barbeque chips. Momma’s working two shifts at the greasy-spoon and who the Hell knows where daddy’s run off to. But in the end, it doesn’t really matter, cause come Monday morning that yellow bus is coming to rescue him from the countless hours of reality TV, and flat coke, and smoking fake joints with the thirteen-year-old next door who just stole his brother’s rolling papers and his sister’s lighter. But, hey, life really begins on that bus; an hour and a half ride learning new cuss words and hoping the eighth graders in the back don’t start teasing him about his dirty shirt or his coat that’s a little too small, so, he sinks down in his seat and holds on to the only good thing he’s got, a made-up memory of grandpa’s farm milking cows and catfishing all night with the older brother he never had and big family meals with table cloths and apple pie birthday presents in wrapping paper and cousins to play with on Thanksgiving afternoon while Daddy and Uncle Jim stretch out and watch football. The jolt from the bus-stop jars him awake and he hops off and heads for that little carton of 2% milk and mini-box of Lucky Charms-- All he has to do is hand them his punch card with the rest of the free-lunch kids.© 2016 JamesAuthor's Note
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