Somebody’s Always Stealing Swede’s Shoes

by Ed Mampel

A group of us
were passing da grape
an’ shooting da bull
when along comes Swede
from sleeping in a doorway.
Barefooted.
“Wot happened Swede?”
“Somebody stole my shoes.”
Somebody’s always stealing Swede’s shoes.
“They’re always doing that.”
Laughs.
“It wouldn’t be so bad but
they were throwaways
in the first place.”
Loud laughs.

So we pass Swede da grape
and rake him up another pair
of throwaways.

A little tight but
Swede was up-against-it anyway.
And the sidewalks were
getting cold.