I stood on line at the Kitchen yesterday
Three hours for a sandwich and apple
I stood on line at the Mission yesterday
Four hours for chicken and potatoes
I stood on line at the shelter yesterday
Six hours to sleep on a floor mat
at least it was warm and dry
not like my pal Chester
who got left out in the cold rain
under some cardboard
under some overpass
I stood on line at the clinic yesterday
two hours to get my dose
swallow it down show my tongue
both my hands
Some junkies might give you five dollars
maybe one would kill you for it they say
I don’t mess with that shit no more
I ain’t clear but I am clean
six months I think
won’t know for sure until
I see my caseworker
maybe in court or in the jail
if I get busted again
All I do is sleep where they don’t
want you to no stealing no drugs
just sleeping man
Some of the fellas who travel through
say it’s the same everywhere now
Nowhere to sleep without hassle
not the woods no train yards parking lots
a Mexican guy told me
they run him out of the desert –
the desert man
His name was Juan Bandito
claimed to be a bad hombre in his day
Well them days are gone
ain’t no bad hombres on the streets now
naw it’s just a bunch of us old men
trying to get some damn sleep.