A Beefstew Classic…
Yellow tram with a rusty stripe
drives faster at night
I grip the bar of the seat
in front of me to keep from falling
off the heated seat.
Drunks sleeping-those still awake
bent over on all fours
waiting to re-examine their poison.
The pace of the tram makes those
who aren t asleep
irritated
young boys (old enough to ride the
middle-of-the-night-night-tram)
snap at old man
old man snaps.
His white pudgy hands
shove boy face into tram bar
those who aren t asleep-too tired
to stop boys, now winning
one choking the tall, old, bearded man
one punching bearded face.
Tram takes corner too fast
boys are thrown from their aggressor
stopping the fight as the man
throws open the doors
and gets off-midstop.
I ride on-in the back
of the bouncing tram
waiting for the end of the line
and dawn
when trams don t drive so fast
and drunks start to sober.
– Photo by Jeffree Benet
