Loco-Motion; Sam Poem by Leah Ayliffe

In the day of our only sunrise
the beating of busy train tracks from behind
A stranger of the foreign town I have found myself in
finds me alone
waiting for the hours to pass -
Sam.
Everyone else has scattered away,
the crowd broke as soon as the race was off.
Daily plans to go to Sunday Breakfast
or get errands done before reaching the finish line.
I sat alone in a ghost town remnant of police cars still blocking the road.
Sam.
He walked on over keeping a safe distance.
I felt safe.
He tells me he wishes he could race
but his whole right side of his body is made of metal.
I say 'that's crazy'
He says I guessed his name as he pulled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo on his arm that says 'loco'
I tell him my story for being here,
he shares how he is stranded in this place
getting drunk with the homeless for fun in the early evenings.
His baby's mama shot him once.
His own mother shot him once.
And five different strangers shot him at five different times.
Sam.
He was crazy but seemed like such a sweet man.
I was a lonely girl waiting on the sun to rise to high noon -
I had hours to spare,
but I lied to the guy and sighed
'Well I must be going back to my car now'
and said good bye to crazy Sam.