02 November, 2010

“Poor People Have Poor Habits”


The Main Street ninnies say 
she lives in an abandoned truck camper
down the way and she
only walks into town
every other day or so
for a half case of beer
and another pack of cigarettes. Everyone
remembers her when she went to high school
and insist they knew even then
the girl would amount to nothing. Then
she confirmed their judgments,
got mixed up
with one of the Boyd Brothers
got herself pregnant
before her 16th birthday,
was kicked out of her mother's trailer
(that wasn't much of a home anyway, people say)
and was left on her own
because in a town like this
you reap what you sow –
especially if your last name
isn't one
that people respect
before they meet you. She doesn't work
and her son
is in grade school now,
but lives with some other family;
and people suspect she's a whore
though no one in town
will go to see her
and no one knows how
she will make it through the winter.