The Drifter

The drifter in the room is a stranger,
he is crazy, is Bigfoot with deer moccasins on?
monster of condominium rooms and dreams.
The drifter in this room used to be my friend.
He spoke straight sentences, they did not sound like poetry-
reverberated like a narrative, special lines good a few bad,
or stories being unwound by the tongue of a gentleman,
lip service, juggler of simple words to children.
The night is a dark believer in drifters,
they sound sober, affairs with the wind,
the 3 A.M. honking of the Metro trains.
Everything sleeps with a love, a nightmare at night.
The drifter.

Michael Lee Johnson, from the Chicago area, is an internationally published poet in 46 countries or republics; several published poetry books have been nominated for 7 Pushcart and 7 Best of the Net nominations. Read other articles by Michael Lee, or visit Michael Lee's website.