blu-eyed James

there was this boy living on the street
his name was
James
I called him
blu-eyed James
for what it’s worth
his eyes were like the eyes of the neptune
full of blue and water
homeless seagod from across the street
breathing in between two corner shops
in Sacramento
sleeping on news discarded by people passing by
life
on their way
to work
or
hell
so he was picking up and collecting the informations
that were left behind
like the weather report
for Sunday
an obituary
about some old lady named Mary
that died
falling from the 3rd floor of a tenement house
I used to give him change and half sandwiches with cheese and ham
or black tea
he didn’t like coffee you know
too strong for me he said
boy was always clean
drying clothes at the back of the wooden fence in the shop’s backyard
no one ever bothered him
everyone liked
that boy
with head like sunshine
one day one of the big boys from the neighbourhood beat him up
in the early Saturday morning
but he never took it to himself
never said
a bad word
as if
getting punched in the face
would be
a strangely
satisfying
sign
of being noticed

one day I asked him
aren’t you lonely my boy?
never
I’m the king
of this corner
and the sky
and stars
serve me
every night
when the newspapers are rustling around my face
how could I
be lonely
on any of those days
given to me
by the good god
I ain’t no loner
with
all the
men
women
children
and animals
living
within me