5 Hours and 58 Minutes Left on My Shift

I wanna run out the door
down the street
take the first bus
to anywhere
leave the clock running
while the bag ladies
and thieves
wait
for free tickets
and cigarettes
leave the clock
wondering
and waiting
on nothing
while stalkers finger flowers
and old men ask the price
of a million things
they can’t buy
leave it
leave it
with 30 minutes for lunch
a bad back
and 5 dollars
leave it
leave it
but I can’t
because I’m on the clock
and the clock’s got me
with 5 hours and 50 minutes to go

© 2011 Lee Kitzis

The Crack Smoking Car

I got on the blue line
at about 7:30 in the morning

it was Sunday
so there were very few people in my car

a couple
of middle-aged Ukrainian women

a stocky Mexican lady
with sad puppy dog eyes

and a bad drunk
a homeless man with long greasy white hair
and a weathered face like an old bike seat

he looked at me
and said

"Hey you! This is a crack smoking car!
If you're gonna be on this car you gotta smoke crack!
It's...up to you..."

he dropped his head

either nodding off
or holding back puke

the middle-aged Ukrainian ladies kept talking
in what seemed like an endless stream
of Borscht Belt bullshit

the Mexican lady
looked out the window

at nothing

at the wall going by

when I got up to leave

the bike seat

looked at me

and mumbled something

I couldn't make out

maybe about crack

maybe how to cook a good stuffed pepper

but the doors closed

and I never knew

© 2011 Lee Kitzis