'peace and love'

i got the blessings of the bum
when i walked out of the stop n go with my colas
in a bag he was sitting on the ground back
against the wall next to the door munching
on his dinner kfc nuggets or whatever in a box
my bike was leaning on the post nearby
two cop cars from terrell hills were gassing up
in the drive 'you didn't take long' he says
'yeah in and out gotta get my colas'
'you oughta get a chain for that bike' he says
'ahh don't need it i figured you'd watch my bike
plus got two cops over there'
'they don't do nuthin' he says 'but i watched you ride up
i knew it was your bike'

i load the bottles in the pannier and get in the saddle
about to roll off
i look at the bum sitting on the concrete outside
the stop n go hunched over his dinner
he makes eye contact without fear
without anxiety - so unlike the good citizens of the city
it occurs to me that he probly prefers having dinner on the ground
to owning a house and paying the bills and cutting the yard
'you have a good evening' i say to the bum
'peace and love' he says