photo entitled: “routine” — by: Tres
He’d snap his shine cloth
tellin’ tales
of long ago
of joy
war
betrayal
pain
injustice
lost love
his Memphis “blues”
harsh wisdom
hard learned
his voice
sorrow tempered
laughter sweetened
broadleaf husky
smooth as Beale Street bourbon
warm eyes
turbulent as Big Muddy
inescapable deep currents
his weathered face
marked and scarred
by years of burden
of witness
he’d once held a woman’s heart
but she’d had it sliced away
leaving a scar
among scars
testaments
to his enduring soul
cracked and seasoned hands
wrap polished leather
in suffered care
callused fingers
yellowed by habit
roll the rhythm rag
pulling the shine
with sweat
spit
blood and bone
wiping away
broken promises
failed love
killing fields
cruel streets
back allies
the poppin’ slaps
resonate
in soulful cadence
lifting my worry
making my steps
feather light
a spit-shine supreme
like no other
will be again
*
rob kistner © 2022
More prosery at: dVerse
More poems at: Poets & Storytellers