Original DDE™ surreal art: “Regal Rag Man” by: rob kistner © 11/28/24
Rags-ole-iron, he called out loudly
rags-ole-iron, rolling down our road
collecting scraps of post World War II
gathered this’n’that in a recycled load
he had a slow n’steady way about him
from where he came — I never knew
he always seemed to me quite magical
a TV enchantment that had come true
he was such a mystery to this young boy
tattered mad-hatted wizard from the past
I’d hear his call echo between the houses
I’d rush to watch Freddie Freeloader pass
his horse clippity-clopped along the pavement
his bulged bounty clicked n’clacked n’clattered
he walked out of my TV then into my memory
always knew Fred’s mys’try mission mattered
time-to-time he still passes by in my memory
rumbling down that misty street of long ago
was it Mr. Freeloader who’d shuffled by me…
that boy from ‘52 prefers to imagine it was so
Red Skelton’s iconic 1952 B&W TV character, Freddie Freeloader
*
rob kistner © 12/3/24
Poetry at: dVerse