a hungry man

there’s a hungry man waiting under the chicken-on-the-way sign.  he’s got his eye on a 5-piece snack box, fries and coleslaw combo.  there’s nothing finer than hot greasy chicken on a summer day.

there’s a hungry man waiting under the chicken-on-the-way sign.  he’s got his eye on a 5-piece snack box, nothing finer than a box of hot summer day.  no money.  dried up like the mud on the riverbank, embedded with debris from the flood.  branches, tires, bits of insulation. styrofoam coolers.

there’s a hungry man waiting under the chicken-on-the-way sign.  he’s got his eye.  nothing finer, summer day.  no money.  dried up like mud.  the riverbank, his home, washed away.  debris surrounds his former resting place, a concrete bunker under the 14th street bridge.  he watched the river from under the bridge supports. the water rising, rising.

there’s a hungry man waiting. he’s got his eye.  he’s washed away. debris marks his resting place. he’s rising.