The Fat Man, the Hooker and the Cockatoo (for Anna)

We sat in the park

and watched the fat man, the hooker and the cockatoo

the fat man clipped the cockatoo’s wings
so it couldn’t fly away

while the hooker smoked a cigarette
and squinted

it was business as usual

when my pocket was filled
with flowers you had picked

the pigeons came up
to say hello

with their fiery red eyes
and dumb thumb heads

the cockatoo presented the plumage
on its head

None of us
wanted to leave

but the hooker had to make money

the fat man and the pigeons had to eat

and you
had to go back to work

and I

couldn’t go at it alone

with a flightless bird

on a beautiful day

we held hands

and walked away

hating retail

hating the sun

© 2010 Lee Kitzis