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Yes, I actually met and knew these people. Just recording the memory

Santa Claus lives in El Centro

I met him at the bus stop on the Boulevard

Puke on his shoes, leaves in his beard

Curses on his lips, track marks on his arms

All dressed for Christmas in the middle of March

 

Jesus resides in a traveling van

Caught between San Diego and Death Valley

I met him on a highway in the desert

Three dogs in the back on a piss-stained mattress

His eyes vacant but his words sentient

 

The aliens left us the lovely Rael

She grew up in Brooklyn, made the desert her home

I met her on a corner stoop in the dirty part of town

Dusty broomstick skirt trailing the ground

Her face wrinkled, her eyes alight with rebirth

 

Yet of all the saints and famous I met in my life

The greatest had armed robbed 47 banks

And finally resigned himself to being a carnie

Bob lived homeless in the off season

And fed the ones who were always homeless

 

Bob fed Santa, and Jesus,and the Alien Rael

He brought them medicine, and laughter

Made them feel human, these superheroes

By simply talking to them, touching their hands

Which always means more than coins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Wharton]

You show several things in your poem that go beyond the obvious. One, that even those that would seem to be unremarkable are in deed remarkable when the light is forcused on them in the right way. Two, that sometimes the most unlikely persons are actually heroes.

Your poem shows those of the fringe of society, the cast-offs and you show their quirks as well as their humanity, that in their having sunk to the bottom, they better understand the notion of kindness, and know that its worth is intangible.

Excellent

[Tony]

Your work always has good structure, is neat and presentable, thereby disguising the subject matter. I like that kind of thing. It is difficult to present the offensive byproducts of society to society in such a fashion as to gain audience.
You have a knack for it....... Its like the preachers daughter casually telling a really dirty joke.
In your stark portrayals of real life, there is the flavor of hope and grace, made heavy by the bad smells that are evoked.
Nice.

[Orlando Murcia]

That is so true!

Sometimes people just
want your time more than money

Beautiful right!

I don't know why I never thought of this
and I used to tell people the same thing

Orlando M

[Jonathan Ballam]

Great idea of using multiple characters to get a story to develop. I really like this piece!

[Legion]

There is beauty in simplicity. This is indeed a beautiful piece. I felt the characters portrayed here. I think you have something here that could develop into much more. Perhaps a novel even. This was brilliant. Kudos and bravo to you. Keep it real.