Welcome to Toledo, Ohio

“Alone in Toledo:
not really,
several hours
we pulled into a stark greyhound bus terminal”
“drifters dragging hustling babies,
myself included
marched uniformly
towards departure gates”
sleepy stumbling
some with uncombed hair
buckwheat and tiny topsy
couple of mathematics geeks in front
one smelled of pee
assume a weak bladder
he stank!
they’re chat bout
bet the “Hindu”
only one to figure a math question
exempting everyone else
black and spanish
with an exception to an asian kid
squatted on the floor playing video game
stood looking at the surroundings
listening
wasting mind
waiting
watching each person
however brief
not brief enough
peculiar couple of Hillbillies
said from Kalamazoo
matching pinstripe hats
with skeletons along the side
an ugly lost face present his wife
kids off the side giggled
tried not to notice
the husbands greedy grin
cigarette breath in my face
“I’m Hank.”
like I care
a partial smile
continued reading vibe magazine
inching his way to tell me their adventures
like i care
but listened
hitchhiking across the Mid-West
Rocky Mountains
with only one red nap sack
somehow lucked befriend them
with tickets
I’m certain lifted
from an unknown
unsuspecting pocket
head still in the hotel room
manage a sneak preview
“Hank kept talking,
the wife holding her flabby tits
as though someone to suck”
I held tightly to nympho thoughts
jarred back to Toledo
over a loud speaker
“Attention all passengers headed East please remove tickets.”
“First boarding call for gate number 7.”
happy to end Hank’s empty conversation
ready to leave Toledo

© 2010 Lepadah

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nominated
(This is your poem)

Submitted by race_9togo on 8 July 2010 - 5:31am.

Hello

I seldom comment on or critique any poem whose author does not want the raw truth.
This poem, however, is so good that I am breaking my usual rule.

I’m going to assume that you want the raw truth; if you do, well and good, if not, please accept my apologies.

First of all, this is very, very, very good. I actually was stuck in the Toledo Dog Depot nearly 30 years ago, and you took me right back there, vividly and intensely.

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From: Alcaeus (Alcaeus)

To: lepadahxxx
Unread
Posted: Jul 08 10 06:34 AM
Message:

Great narrative, very enjoyable read.

Al.

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From: trkyounger (trkyounger)

To: lepadahxxx
Posted: Jul 06 10 06:17 PM
Message:

...very nice poem

reminds me a little of bukowski

peace

obatala