Scumbag

 

The city. I drop some coins into the cup 
of a man on the corner. Beside his right eye, 
he has a tattoo tear. "Thanks pal," he says.

A few steps later, I hear a voice beside me.
"You see that guy back there, he had a tattoo
on his face." I look over. He is tall and pasty
with bad skin and a military-style flat top.

"It's a prison thing," I explain. He's pacing me
now. "Well I'm glad they get those things,"
he says. "It lets me know who the scumbags are."

We walk along. Flat top waits for me to answer,
but I don't. At the next light, he goes right
and I go straight, wishing I'd had the guts to say,
"The only scumbag here is you."

Comments

[trainwatcher]

Oh, Charlie -- I'm glad you didn't have the guts to answer. Maybe it wasn't lack of guts, but a recovering addict's desire to break destructive cycles. Flattop labeled the guy with the tear a scumbag. You were tempted to label flattop a scumbag. Doing so would have caused flattop to label you a "scumbag-lover." Ding...Round Two. Sometimes the best response to a labeler/hater is to deny him/her the satisfaction of ANY response beyond silent indifference.

[Charlie]

There is wisdom in your words, my friend.