This Friend Of Mine... Poem by Nicole Andrews

It happens on a street
a cleaner eats like the dogs
and lays slumped over Gladys
on a rainbow colored mattress

On hot summer nights
they play under sprinklers
and eat fruit drops
from old broken bowls

They sing songs
as she wraps her legs
around his waist and tells him
everything is going to be okay

He kisses heart shaped nothings
around the halo he gave her
a long time ago

How ever did the time go

Folded into hot cotton sheets
pressing cheek for cheek
he whispers all the words

Every morning he leaves her
by the bedside. He takes his time
cars never went so slow

He whistles as he fills paper trays
and sways around metal buckets
mopping up the mess

You'll never know what it feels like
he mimes to the chief
who lifts up his feet for a good time

At lunch he takes two pieces of bread
smears cream cheese wide out
he'll read the words of great men
and be there, with them

Tea always follows
he can never resist chewing
on polystyrene cups

The afternoon's take time
and drag around a rag
on dust bins and silver sockets
but he gets there in the end

He feels alive driving down streets
stitching through light beams
rolling the windows down low
cool air rattles through the bones

At home his two hard hands
melt like polka dots between finger tips

Everything makes sense again
slumped over Gladys
on a rainbow colored mattress