JAZZ AND THE HOBO.

[dadio]

It was a Saturday morning
And you were 19

and you were racing along
Victoria Street having just left

Victoria Railway Station
on your way to Dobell’s

Jazz Record Shop
moving quickly

through the sea
of humanity

thinking of jazz
and what record

you were going to buy
at the shop that day

imaging yourself
fingering through LP sleeves

taking a mental note
of which one

you might buy
a John Coltrane or Miles Davis

an Art Blakey or maybe
a Dizzy Gillespie

a jazz record being played
over the loudspeakers

in the shop
you mingling with others

in the crowded place
when this hobo stopped you

taking hold of your jacket gently
and said

have you got some small change
for a sandwich?

no
you replied

I haven’t
and rushed on

through the crowd
fingering in your pocket

loose change
silvery coins

and his voice
in your head

as you raced along
and your conscience

nagging you
maybe the voice

of the believed in Christ
so you stopped

and turned around
and made your journey back

through the people
passing by

your fingers taking hold
of the coins

the silvery loose change
and there he was

the hobo asking others
the same question

and they too went by
shaking their heads

or saying
no sorry no change

and you took his hand
and put in the loose silver

into his open palm
and said

here go buy yourself
a sandwich or whatever

and you turned
and left looking over

your shoulder
and he stood there

staring at his palm
and the coins shining

in the morning sun
and then you looked ahead

thinking of the record shop
and the LPs and the jazz music

being played
but deep down

in some other part of you
you knew you’d given

to one who maybe
was hungry

and had unconsciously
prayed.

[the mingo]

WHAM Somewhere in Scripture, Terry, I remember reading "...if you love those who love you what credit is that to you? ..." or something damn close to that ...
Thx, Terry

[dadio]

Thank you, the mingo.

[saw]

I've come to believe that empathy is really the key to whether mankind survives or not.....this was a powerful memory for you......not without significance .....

[dadio]

Thank you, Saw.

[still.trucking]

a beat poem
jack would have loved it

[dadio]

Thank you, still-trucking. I hope he does.

[justwalt]

love the story, dadio... and the experience. sounds like old new york.

today, the manhattan hobos, have their regular tuesday and saturday spots...
can't burn out a good spot, ya know.
I had my favorite bums... as many others do, in new york, and other cities too.
some were genuinely needing a meal, some a bath, and some... a beer,
while others own BMW's, parked just around the corner, but they put on
a good show for the going rate of... two dollars.

I'd hand out about forty bucks a week, I guess, when I was in that town.
maybe more, maybe less... maybe just one of the hotdogs, that I bought at
lunch time from the corner cart on 14th and 3rd ave... (the only dollar dogs
in the village).

I give for the simple pleasure of it... I give because it's my way, though I also
give to balance out a bit of negative karma as well.

[dadio]

Thank you, justwalt. Your comments are most interesting. Although this was London and hobos were rarer then than they are now. The last time my wife and I went to London to see an opera a few years ago we were approached many times and one or twice quite agressively. But maybe it is for drugs these days too and that is an added problem for them too. I give when I can though.

[dadio]

Thank you, infoleather.