compassion
nick hobbled in
shuffling his cane
serenely drunk again
lobotomized by gallo
he gazed about him
quick-moving darts
of blurry eyes
as if uncomprehending
fully what he saw
stumbling
he found a seat
gratefully empty
sat heavily
marrow-achingly tired
shivering
huddled small
within his over-sized coat
both hands clutching
the top of his cane
which unsteadily
propped up
his scruffy chin
he stared
stared with guilt
stared with isolation
stared with self-alienation
trying to focus
some semblance of meaning
out of his wet-brained fog
of gut-twisting
bowel-shaking
throat burning
belched wine
as forgotten spittle
dribbled down
the stubble of his scrubby beard
onto the dirt-splotched coat
i watched him
with mild compassion
soul briefly stirred with gratitude
but for the grace of... and all that
stayed rooted however in complacency
turning my attention
to fragile fantasies
of maybe some tomorrow's
erotic embraces
by the lovely object
sitting demurely
across the room
sternly ignoring
my random glances
looking back at nick
i saw with him huey
a strong-jawed
blond-mustached
big-boned man's man
who was as virile
as beautifully male
as any model
on any cover
of any GQ or
Soldier of Fortune
magazine
huey was gently
holding nick
stroking him
assuring him
relating with him
letting him just be him
and loving him
loving him so heart simply
a burning tear
slid down my face
as i watched with awe
nick's streaming tears
steadily flow
through the gray stubble
missing the coat
to puddle on the floor
Winter, 1974
New York, NY
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