Poem by Nicholas Abanavas
The Wino with the Florida Tan
The bearded madman has found a flea.
Light is but a glim.
He shouts to all discovery
or when it is a whim.
The girls with hot pants
know he's crazy
they start and runaway.
The dead grass isn't lazy
it turns dirt or concrete
drinks the acid of the world
the echo is repeat.
So, don't point us to the ocean
let us find the way
the ferries magic and the motion:
tide and wind and spray.
The bearded madman has found a flea.
He holds it to the light.
He sees the dust of memory.
He'll scream again, tonight.
The bearded madman has found a flea.
Light is but a glim.
He shouts to all discovery
or when it is a whim.
The girls with hot pants
know he's crazy
they start and runaway.
The dead grass isn't lazy
it turns dirt or concrete
drinks the acid of the world
the echo is repeat.
So, don't point us to the ocean
let us find the way
the ferries magic and the motion:
tide and wind and spray.
The bearded madman has found a flea.
He holds it to the light.
He sees the dust of memory.
He'll scream again, tonight.
Nicholas Abanavas received his M. Ed. in Teaching At-Risk Students in 2008. He recently retired from a career in public education. He has written three books: Scissors, Cardboard & Paint-The Art of At-Risk Teaching, Lemnos-An Artist and His Island and Amazed & Bemused-Gargoyles and Grotesques-On Our Travels. Born and raised in New York City, he is an avid fan of jazz music. His work has recently appeared in The Basil O'Flaherty, Wayne Literary Review and Lime Hawk magazines. His poetry has also appeared as Poet of the Week on the Poetry Super Highway.