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Karl's Metal

Big lip K boards the bus
Bobbing to a new music player
Smiles big at middle aged driver.
She always happily greets,
"Morning Karl."

Every day. Every ride, Karl bears
A bronze medallion on a green nylon
Necklace, rubbing it with his calloused
Thumb. Over and over. Obsessively.
Every day. Every ride.

Carefully Karl ambles to a seat upfront
He stops. Stares and stares, blankly.
Kindly black man shuffles and coughs
"This your seat?"

Blank, distant stare. Yellow dashed
Lines wiz by. The bus rocks and creaks
The smell of diesel and urine. Awkward
Confrontation tastes of chalk. People
Pretend, staring at the blur of the world

Casting quick peripheral glances to Karl
Now the kindly black man.

Cough.
Black man stands and moves
Silently to the back of the bus
Karl sits. Bobbing. Staring.

People shift, yawn, chew nails
Thinking of what Karl has won to
Get that bronze metal

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