At The Flame Poem by Tom Hamilton

For Joe Riley

I saw Charles Manson at a dive bar tonight.
He was talking to a bum with long scraggly split ends.
The hobo asked him point blank if he had claimed to be Jesus.
Chuck was taken aback and so he nervously laughed.
Which turned to a cry as he tried to deny this.
but the stranger/savior said 'Well that's good 'cause I'm him.'
But Manson didn't panic, he's a laid back maniac
and he has an inkling for any kind of killing.
He but shackled my eye from across the pub and I
took a swill of Pabst's and skillfully nodded.
And Manson knowing then that I was do his bidding
nodded back.