A new generation of homeless
signs
have cropped up in the city.
“I need money to buy a gift
for Beyoncé’s twins”
and
“I need a Whopper
and a trip to Paris.”
Don’t we all, brother?
A better sign is a bigger haul,
and a bigger haul is a
bath and a bed and a belly full.
For those who say this isn’t work:
How do you understand the sharp scent
of a black Sharpie applied with a keen wit
like a knife to salvaged cardboard
in a dire situation?
The shoulders hunched in understanding of human nature
—knowing we are this good and no better—
working to excise some emotion
from a long line of red taillights
and averted faces.
Is it cardboard, or a mirror?
How much are you willing to pay
for a proper education?