#a lire

[oneloveasshole]

he stomps onto the train. comes my way. changes his mind. walks the other way. his right fist held up in the air. i can feel the anger radiating out from it. he takes the set at the opposite end. he squirms around. getting comfortable. then with his raised fist he starts punching the window between the cars. the man on the other side looks terrified. 

[oneloveasshole]

he’s leaning over the garbage can. large round hairy forearms hold him up. the plume of salt and pepper hair he has is thick. coarse. unaffected by the strong breeze. there’s a faraway look in his eye. like all of the people and cars and lights and noise aren’t even there. i nudge the guy beside me and discreetly point. classic toronto, i say in a voice like we’ve spotted the rarest bird in the world.

[oneloveasshole]

there’s a open can of beer on the bench beside me. a smouldering roach in the barren flower bed off to my left. i’m leaning back. legs stretched out. the full afternoon sun beating on my face. and from this position it’s easy to see my future. 

[oneloveasshole]

i come up out of the metro. business as usual. sun shinning. but then i notice a woman in the fenced in gravel lot across the street. first i wonder what’s she doing? and how the hell did she get in? too old to scale the chain link i imagine.

probably just cleaning up my brain tells me. probably a hole in the fence. and i like that. so i go with it. it’s easy.

though it doesn’t stick. because as i get closer i see her reason for being behind the fence. there’s a great big fucking crow there. sitting in the gravel. gulping water from an aluminum container. spitting it back up. the bird don’t look so good.

busted wing or something, lady? she nods her head and says she thinks so. she tells me she’s been all over looking for someone to help. that the people at the pizza place were very kind. the aluminum container. and the S.P.C.A was on their way.

i nod my head while listening. hold onto the chain link with my fingers. whatever is wrong with him he sure is a big motherfucker ain’t he? i say to her. she nods her head. tells me she thinks the same. that a local vet said it was probably a raven.

i always thought crows were bigger.

[oneloveasshole]

i stand at the café counter not caring how long the guy takes to notice me. but he does. and comes over. hey man, you sure don’t look like you wanna go to work, he says to me. and for a moment i don’t say a thing. because he hit the nail right on the fucking head. 

[oneloveasshole]

i walk in the door. there’s a man at the counter telling a story. he’s excited. waving his arms in the air. and when i get in line behind him he almost smacks me up against the head. i say whoa and take a step back laughing. he apologizes with his hand on my shoulder. i wink at him. and tell the guy working i want four samosas. he nods his head. then asks me it’s a nice samosa? i place my three dollars on the counter. and tell him it sure is.

[oneloveasshole]

the bus pulls up just when i think i can’t handle anymore. i get on with a grunt of pleasure. of course it’s practically full. and as i walk up the little stairs to the back. and the only available places to sit. i kick some guy in the shins with my heavy boots. i’m too tired or cold to look up and see if he needs an apology. but boy, do i ever feel his heat when i drop into the seat beside him.