Old Town
When proudly announced at town meeting
Cable television was coming to the area
In the front row one old native raised an arm
Asking, Does that mean I have to get a TV?
Other
Some animal pawed
A stone out under the
Chicken hut last night —
The animal in me puts it back
City~Boy
Cityboy liked to remind me once or twice
When we were standing out in the road
Talking how he’d like to give it to someone’s
Wife, you know, up the rear end. It was
Funny though because the second time
He told me this she drove by and Cityboy
Just about turned white but still gave me
A little wink. A sick fuck. It only dawned on
Me later how much younger and how similar
At a glance the woman looked like Cityboy’s
Wife who he liked to solo away from on the week
Ends and rough it at his country retreat that
I was hired to caretake and carpenter and
Woods clear and over the long winters to
Shovel his long driveway mainly for the gas
Deliveries and his nice car. Of course he was
Forever late on ever paying. I was young and
Stupid then, often worked far too long for these
Nonsense wages and it would be more than
Once where you could catch me hand shoveling
In a snowstorm way past midnight with dear
Sweetheart helping and both of us working
Under the headlights of our VW all so the
Place would be ready for Cityboy’s arrival.
You do what you have to do.
So after fifteen years of this and watching this
Joker at work — with pipe and book in town
Thinking he is Hemingway in A Moveable Feast,
Eating at one of the popular cafes where hippie
Girls once smiled at everyone — I walked away.
But first I told him everything
I’m telling you here.
Work Truck
You’ll never get into a clean one —
Even after the weekend or a
Vacation or a holiday the truck
Remains the same — your feet
Rest on top of a big toolbox or
Tools slide out from under
The seat or off the dash or what
Is usually the case —
There’s no room at all
For passengers
Bob Arnold
Yokel
Longhouse
2011
