there was
a stench
not a scent
nor an odor
but a heavy
pervasive
pungency
to the air
as i walked
to my first call

i heard a
grunting
turned my
head and saw
a man squatting
and staring
directly
at me
taking a shit
in the grass
between two
buildings in
downtown dallas

we locked eyes
as hot snakes
slithered into
the already
brown grass
his jean shorts
pulled down
around filthy
worn out shoes

unsure of how
to react
i nodded
he nodded back
and we both
carried on
with our days

i took a
longer route
back to the car
avoiding
shitstreak alley
and sat behind
the wheel
unable to cast
his determined
stare from
my hurting head

then it began
to rain furiously
a sudden storm
on a sunny day
the devil
beating his wife
as the local
southerners say
and i looked
in the rear view
and saw no rain
three cars back
i looked forward
and saw no rain
half a block
in front of me

maybe the universe
recognized i
needed to be
cleansed after
sharing a moment
with a stranger
dropping a pile
of yesterday’s feast
a sudden tempest
to erase the horror
of reality with
the wonder of nature

or maybe the world
is just fucked
and these cracks
in the facade
are growing larger

but it is definitely
a monday
when you are
assualted by
localized storms
and shameless
shitters
all within
a two block stretch