Hobo Jungle

[Tramp]

MAYBE

There is an object somewhere,
A part of you since birth,
You always know where it is
Like a compass to north;
Your father held it fondly for years
In his since dead hands as you fondle it
Now, your palms across the patina of
Wood or metal or hide. For
You have enshrined it with the sense
That somehow within, is the wisdom of
All that you long for and
All you have let pass by.

Allow me a bar as a sanctum,
Where the neon torments quietly
With its lazy bent beauty and
The beer sign turns so slowly
It almost stills the beating heart;
The bar back lies so calm in darkness
Like all twice-fucked lovers,
The barman so coolly cordial,
The barmaid so coolly sensual,
And the forever jukebox thumps out
Those same moist, drying songs as
We order again and again:
"Oh, so hard to leave,
So easy to stay . . ."
The booth wood firm against the back,
The body seeps languid with the clock,
For here the door might open to eternity
An angel gliding in from the mist,
Or be closed again with certainty
As the finished leave for home.

But maybe against all odds,
My lost father will walk
Through this barroom door,
And I'll nod to the barman
Who will know my father's drink,
And I'll place into my father's hand
The object—carefully preserved
And tenderly polished—
And my dad will smile.




Jon, these are what I found. Not sure which or what you wanted, but hope these are okay for the moment. If only I could write a few more.

[Mitch]

Don't know how its been for you guys, but, it's been hotter than hell all week here. Granddaughter was the first one in the pool on Wed. I'm not goin' in yet, that water's just too damn cold. No balls! Seems like we didn't have any Spring, just kinda slipped straight in to Summer. Thunderstorms all around the tri-county area, but no rain for us. Runnin' my water bill up big time addin' water to the pool and watering the garden every evening. Need to do some wood-working downstairs but the humidity has my damn cabinet grade plywood swelled up to 13/16 inches when it's supposed to be 23/32. Won't do to make cabinet doors when it's like that. No train runnin' down there either under those conditions.

Friggin' people are crazy! Come into the dealership to get their car ready for a vacation trip. Brakes are gone and steel belts are hangin' out of the front tires, but no, don't worry about that. Just fix the friggin' air conditioning. (We want to be comfortable when we wreck)! All in a day's work, I guess.

Christ, I'm glad I don't live in the deep south, (Mississippi, hint, hint). Phuckin' humidity would kill me. I remember when I was in the SeaBees, we had to go to Camp Lejune, N.C. for 2 weeks each year, in August. Come out for quarters at 7:00am in starched pressed fatigues and a crisp 8 point hat, and an hour later I'd look like Sad Sack from the humidity. Absolutely wilted. I'd say if I was gonna live in the south, I'd probably end up somewhere around Athens, Georgia. Beautiful down there, and Oh! those Georgia Peaches! There's something about those Southern Belles.

Somebody throw another log on the fire. Anybody ready for another beer?

[Mitch]

Hello out there? Hev, Pete, Penn, San? Anybody home? Anybody care to add to the idle thoughts of a drunken, er, slightly inebriated hobo rambler? Looks like me, Jon, and the Tramp tonite.

Posted too soon, Pete's in! How's everything up in Gods' Country, Pete?

Another Hobo birthday. I hope Captain Morgan is well prepared.

[2railjon]

Tramp, Your words are a long lost art. Your poems are a treasure. Thank you for sharing.
I think the jungle slows down from time to time, but it will survive.

[Tramp]

Mitch, if you're pouring I'm drinking. Top 'er!


Jon, thanks, brother, and I hope so. World is changing as it always does, but I'm feeling more and more like a stranded boxcar.

[2railjon]

Mitch, I sometimes wish I did'nt live down here, either!!! If I ever get a break, I'm headed North!!!!!! Whose in for another shot an' beer?

[Mitch]

I'll have another beer, but no shots for me, Brother. I don't want to be blind with the headache in the morn.

[P&R Pete]

Hotter than Hell by us too, Mitch.
And dry, too. Grass is starting to turn brown.

Had dark clouds, thunder, and lightning last night, looked promising, then it tinkled for 2 minutes like an old man with prostate problems, and passed on by.

Crap, I was longing for the fast wind and thrumming on the roof and smell of wet dirt and the rush.
Ended up like a hobo standing by the tracks with my hat in my hand after a freight blew-by too fast to grab the ride.

[P&R Pete]

Mitch, LOL!
Lot of stupid people in the world!
Fan belt's probably hanging by a thread, also!!

[Del Mar]

Hey Mitch, shot and a beer. I'pay, just came in for the company. May gray and June gloom here. Drizzly.

Fixed up a track bike as a roadie. Fixed gear, no freewheeling, Campy front brake. Good for the spin (you cannot coast). Sans deraileur, it's 17.5 Lbs of lean machine. After 10 miles in hill country, I'm am seriously going to need Aleve.

San

[rogruth]

Tramp,Very nice. Never really knew my father.Parents separated before I was born.If the poems are from your life,you had some good experiences with your father.

[P&R Pete]

Geez, San, no gears in hill-country?

There's a guy with a badge on the way to your house.
He'll have some court paperwork, but don't worry, there's nothing to sign.
Just do what he says and get in the ambulance.

[webenda]

I heard the poetry and had to come over to the hobo jungle. Brought a cold 12 pack. Help yourselves.

Thank you Tramp. Fine examples of your poetry.

Weather from paradise in Tucson. 70 °F in the morning, 100 °F in the afternoon (14% humidity.)

San,

I entered a fixed gear road bike in the Tour de Tucson last year. It wasn’t intentional. The front derailleur jammed in the smallest chaining as the starting traffic jam thinned out. Then the rear derailleur broke and stuck in the largest gear. Took me an extra two hours to complete the circuit.

Did you know that Aleve can increase your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. This risk will increase the longer you use Aleve. I had CABG three years ago and have to avoid things like Aleve.

Aspirin has the same pain relieving action, but decreases your risk of life-threatening heart or circulation problems, including heart attack or stroke. Aspirin is a better choice for old hobos like me. It costs less too.

http://www.drugs.com/mtm/aleve.html

[webenda]

Geez, San, no gears in hill-country?

There's a guy with a badge on the way to your house.
He'll have some court paperwork, but don't worry, there's nothing to sign.
Just do what he says and get in the ambulance.

Pete,

There is an almost mystical connection between a fixed-gear cyclist and bicycle, it feels like an extension of your body to a greater extent than does a freewheel-equipped machine. It is like you are a locomotive. The wheels are connected to the pistons at all times (preferably.)

[Mitch]

No survivors early this morn.

Thanks for the beer, Wayne. I needed those last 2 like I need all these aches and pains.

I've got a bike, just a 3speed, and I felt sorry for it the last time I was on it. I'm afraid Sans' 17.5 lb. bike couldn't carry my legs. Last time I rode it was about 3 yrs ago, when I weiged 343. ( Now I'm a trim 328 ). The wife and I want to ride on the newly opened rails to trails on the old Pennsy route of the Buffalo Creek, Butler Branch. Don't know if that's gonna happen soon.

I'm only 56, but about 3 months ago, my left knee turned 75. Gotta be arthritis in the inside joint. Then the other night, I was kneeling down on the tile bathroom floor installing a roller drawer slide for the center drawer and something cracked, now I've got fluid in there. Just friggin killed me at work this week when on my knees for half a day pullin' the dash out of Chrysler Mini-Van to put in a new evaporator for the air conditioning. Guess I could get my kid to take us and the bikes out to Sarver and we could ride back to Freeport. It would be level or slightly downhill on the water level route.

Prediction is for some thunder-boomers this afternoon. Sure hope that happens. The pool is so low, we can't run the filter. It's amazing how fast water evaporates in the sun. I don't want to pay for water when I can get it for free.