Strongmen

11-1-2004

This guy I work with

“He’s a house,” as people who flit around his porch light say

A giant    like my brother, 6’6” and wide like a flag       thick like a pillar

Probably rips phones books like muscle-Ts        just to kill time

Too big for his own joints

Walks like Frankenstein’s monster

Works security here

Would’ve made a great bully

if it wasn’t for that goofy smile on his…

Might not even shave yet

Face of a little boy with a caterpillar        tickling his cavernous hand

Only this big kid is kind of dumb               you can tell

a little Lennie       and I suddenly wish my brother      was dumb

Here     this spitting image of his senior photo

is standing in front of me        grinning    like he smells candy

or a cheerleader      named Candy     and my brother    with all his brains

boxed    in a surly scowl       is sitting behind bars

he can’t bend

_