a king in his castle
at 08:22 he awakens and pushes
away the tarp he uses as blanket
he’s already dressed up
and wears shoes
looks around at the blackening
dampness of the walls
stretches a bit
takes off his coat and
the blouse
and the shirt
and the tank-top
grabs a tissue
wets it with rubbing alcohol
and uses it to wash his
armpits. He knows it’s good for killing
the bad smelling bacteria
He knows much about how the world works
for he’d been to school and even
one year of collage in his youth
When his armpits dry
he dresses up
and gets out and checks under the
big flower pots that stand before the
entry to the building
He is wise to keep his savings there
Otherwise the others would’ve
smelled it on him and would’ve
robbed him a long time ago
He counts the money
and feels satisfied with the sum
At 09:30 he eats a warm meal at the
local soup kitchen
and turns down
four bums who ask to borrow money
At 10:10 he walks up to the
big casino and
enters
Now his imagination kicks in
Behind the entry
he is greeted with luxury, he walks
on the red carpet
and sees the bright lights
and the game attendants who greet him
like a king
He is the king in his vision
and he had returned to his castle
He smiles
and walks around leisurely
A man needs to have but a clear
vision of a bright future
to live a happy present
He finds a seat
in front of a slot machine
puts the money into
the bill acceptor
and starts playing
He is one of the happiest
customers the casino
ever had
***