his hair was long
he let his face grow long
he wore torn jeans a
paint-speckled worn torn tshirt under a looseweave coloured jacket
he smoked a fresh-twisted joint
like riding a bicycle
once you learned you dont forget
muscle memory
Big Steve
Miami
a huge red fro topping off a white mountain of a man
I got something for you he said
he leaned over the coffee table and shook his hair with the fingers of his hands
he leaned over the coffee table and shook his hair with the fingers of his hands
joints fell out onto the glass
he looked
Not yet
he shook his hair again
more joints
Ah
How many joints you got tucked up
in there
Big Steve smiled
looked at the table top
Id guess half again as many
he fingered an impossibly thin
one
impossibly thin when you considered
he rolled it with his huge thick fingers
they were mitts
holding it up before him Big
Steve said I was thinking especially of you when I twisted it up
Got a match
With all this dope you aint got a
match
holding the sliver between his
fingers stabbing the joints from the table into his hair with his other hand
Big Steve said nothing
Yeah Of course I got fire
he lit it for him
Big Steve sucked in damn near a
quarter of it and handed it to him
it smelled like perfume
he took a toke
it tasted like exotic flowers
he passed it back
Big Steve exhaled a plume
Opium man Opium tar
I wasnt gonna share it with just
anyone one
he exhaled a plume
Thanks man Opium Never had
Youre in for a treat bro
as Big Steve hit it again he
threw on Crosby Still Nash and Youngs 4 Way Street
he took the joint from Big Steves
mitt and took another toke very aware of its treat
Damn said Big Steve behind his exhale
I love this shit and sat down agilely in an overstuffed chair
he handed it back to him but he
refused it The rests for you I had one
before I came over
Had to share with you
Thanks Big Steve Very cool
Whisky
Dont mind if I do
Good Breakfast of champions
Breakfast of derelicts
Like us
Definitely like us
Mothers milk
the flower unfurled in his brain
taking another hit holding his breath
This is delicious
Gonna fuck you up
they chinked their tumblers
Salud said Big Steve
Na Zdorovie
they took a sip
heat filled his mouth
when he swallowed he followed the
heat down his gullet and into his belly
Nice whisky
Really nice dope Thank you
Youre gonna be fucked up for the rest
of the morning
Then Ill take me down to the
ocean and swim
You aint takin you anywhere Have seat
he sat
they listened to 4 Way Street
he saw Big Steve get hit by a car
smash its windshield
roll off it like Gumby
land on his feet
and keep walking
the driver locked his door rolled
his window up
Big Steve kept walking
he thought I gotta meet this cat
Hey man
Big Steve kept walking
he trotted after him Hey big man
the driver watched mutely as the two walk away
birds of a feather
1150, Sunday,
16 10. 16
