lights out

i was walking

two forty-five a.m.

when there was a

power outage

 

a world without voltage

no one else was around

no cars with wheels

to the ground

and headlights

to pierce the darkness

on this l. a. night

 

star light did not help

exposing their true distance

and absolute indifference

and tonight was a night

without a moon

 

darkness brought gloom

an odd noise surfaced

i couldn’t tell what it was

and almost wet myself

as the volume increased

 

it was dark

and i just couldn’t see

what was right in front of me

 

then a homeless man

came around the corner

the noise being the squeaking

wheel on his shopping cart

 

he did not seem blinded

his night vision superior to mine

and he simply asked me for a smoke

 

i said, “yes sir”

and handed him one and my lighter

 

“i’m not a sir”

he said after he exhaled

and handed me back my light

 

i pulled out my flask

and offered it to him

but he said,

“no thanks, i don’t drink”

 

i shrugged

took a swig

and wanted to start walking

but really couldn’t see

the way to go

 

so i stayed

under his iron gaze

thinking this is another

weird night

and i really should get out

of l. a. one of these days

 

a car rolled up on us

and the lights on top

started flashing

the cop car’s spotlight

painting us with light

 

“what are you two doing?”

the officer in the passenger

seat wanted to know

 

the homeless man said,

“sharing a smoke”

 

the two cops stared

with suspicion

at a black homeless man

and whatever i am

in the middle of the night

in the middle of nowhere

when they got a call

about a B and E

and took off

 

lights began to dance and flicker

and the homeless man gave me a nod

and walked on

 

i said, “fuck it”

like all my nights

and all my stories

the pointlessness

is the point

 

then the homeless man

was back for another light

lit a joint

and offered me a hit

 

i showed him my flask

and said, “i’m good”

i had one more question to ask,

“what’s your name?”

 

he stared at me for a moment

“why do you want to know?”

he demanded

 

i hoped it wouldn’t sound

patronizing but i said,

“because you’re a human being”

 

he stared again then finally responded,

“frank”

 

then went back to his shopping cart

and started pushing

 

i tightened the loose laces on my shoes

and started walking

lit another smoke

and tried to keep my mind from talking

but for a goddamn nihilist

i’m always looking for an understanding

to each and every crash landing

 

***