​It’s Been Raining
Published in Intermission, November 2018
poetry
​
Pager Message: Your client who was at the
Youth Detention Center is now not.
I need a description of him.

Resourceful. Doesn’t like to stay put in one place too long.
Current hopes and dreams are to secure a warm place to sleep
where the drug trafficking is at a minimum and to have one
adult in his life with a lick of sense who also occasionally
buys food and has no outstanding warrants. Hobbies
include learning to read and working on ways to manage hostility.

My Pager Response: White, shaved head, swastika tattoo
on his left forearm, white power tattoo
on the back of his neck. About 5’7”.

Pager Message: Any ideas how he’ll get home?
That’s 20 miles for him to cover.
And it’s freezing rain and dark.

I’m sure his Aunty will come to pick him up and
they’ll have milkshakes at Big Boy’s where
he will evaluate his life decisions and
decide that crime doesn’t pay and then they
will both conclude maybe a gap year is what is needed.

​My Pager Response: He’ll take those train tracks by YDC.
They go all the way into the city and to the west side right by his house.
Also, he’ll be armed by the time he gets home.
And it’s been raining on this kid since forever.
He’ll make it back.
Right back to where he came from.