getting dirty

by Wolfgang Carstens

civil court today
trying to evict
asshole deadbeat tenants
from rental property
putting me inside
heart of downtown
a shithole i try to avoid
whenever possible
walking beside dregs
men & women in suits
& skirts & undesirables
begging for dollars
cigarettes & crumbs
air is thick w/ ego
violence & eruptions
there is more raw energy
in their unwashed hands
& hair than suits
i am a block away from
the courthouse
the judge
those asshole tenants
who refuse to pay
refuse to get the fuck out
when like a child spun
around in too many circles
he rounds the corner
staggering towards me
like a switchblade
do you have a buck
got a buck
got a buck
buddy you got a buck
no man i ain't got no buck
hell i ain't got no smoke
smoke he says smiling
w/ elephant shit lips
white paint encrusted lips
reaching into his shirt pocket
he pulls out a smoke
& hands it to me
green death my favorite
thanks man thanks a lot
he smiles he's very happy
the tables have turned
& he's the good guy
the one wearing the suit
he walks past singing
happier than he was before
i toss the cigarette
into the gutter
like it's contagious
& continue
towards the courthouse
the judge
those deadbeat tenants
thankful
to have escaped w/out
getting dirty