Joe Pelo

Joe’s Mom and Wife were
beheaded
by an 18 wheeler
and a month later
he was on the streets
trading black eyes
for broken noses
and blood among
brothers

but
never drunk
never smoking
nics nor greens
but
always dishing out
the smokes
the beer
in the street

Joe shaves his hair
and eyebrows
perfectly

He is old and big and mean

Joe is a Savior in Austin.

One day he got
belligerent
because I
couldn’t
spare a smoke

Later
he’d stole
beer from a
Frat house
a
nd
we made friends
quick-like

a bunch of us
went
from alley
to alley
until we got run off
by business owners
or security.

This was routine

That day I
ate
from the dumpster
for the first time.

The strawberry was most divine

29 bank robberies
had gone
unsolved
and they showed
a video
on the news.

Under the cowboy hat
Behind the shades
I saw Joe Palone.
I saw Joe Pelo

I saw Joe
in the
back
of the
bus
months
later;
I was going to say hi
but didn’t

Joe was just sitting
there
looking at no one.