geezer gassin'

 
 
it’s no secret I love geezers  
and right now I’ve got a good one  
 
he comes on the job two days a week  
hired him as my advisor  
to make the job run  
always comes on the job smelling like cut grass  
spends his retired days  
working his macadamia farm  
which mostly means mowing it  
so the rats don’t eat the nuts  
 
we always take a drive  
up the top of the hill  
overlooking the job  
sit and talk about what’s happening  
 
he’s had 45 years building everything  
everywhere  
has got a war story for every damn thing  
sits and listens to my problems  
corrects me  
challenges me  
argues his angle solid as a rock  
runs his hands through his gray whispy hair  
adjusts his glasses  
comes at me again  
will usually pick fluff off his faded cardigan  
when I’ve got a problem he needs time for  
 
asked me yesterday  
straight out of nothing  
“when you going to quit?”  
 
I had nothing for him  
was pissed off he’d asked  
‘cos I’m no quitter
 
asked him why he wanted to know
he said “I’ve seen them come and go son  
seen them die from worry  
seen liquor  
and broken marriages  
and kids who don’t know them from the milkman  
 
you have to know when you're getting out  
or this work will eat you”  
 
I left it alone
didn’t have an answer
 
have got an answer now;
when the bank is full enough  
to pay for a boat and a cottage  
and money to feed the things I love  
I’m fucking done  
 
don’t know what he’ll say  
hell I don’t care  
but I’ll buy the man a beer for asking  
and raise a glass to geezers  
when I do