"Bridge Of Old Man Joe"

*entered in Case's crazy comp

just a boy in a no name town
crossing " Old Man Joe's Bridge", walking to school
I remember him always busy
in the middle of his bridge
smiling, dancing between cars
selling his papers; waving, singing his spiel,
"Got the news, latest going on.Read all about it."
rain, snow; no matter, hustling hard
Old man Joe and his bridge

Joe always wore his beat-up cap
with his cigar jutting from his mustache
his frayed gloves showing ink stained finger-tips
shoes of well worn leather, an old jacket
big dungarees, plenty of patches and mended sun-glasses
always smiling, asking of dad and the family
his world seemed without, but he was always there
dad said he was cut from the school of hard knocks
war hero forgotten, served over seas proud somewhere

growing up, I use to help him peddle his papers
Old man Joe told me, "Always ask about the people."
seeing him dodging traffic, greeting faces warmly, unpretending
reminiscing through the years, we all drifted our own ways
visiting home sometimes, he was still there, familiar face as always
I learned later he lived under the bridge that was his
content to be humble among his friends, simply with..
his life of selling papers, smiling and..
showing others' he was more than just Joe with his bridge