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Uncle James

Uncle James
loved his Bourbon
--but not as much as Jesus.
If you had a fight or needed
another for basketball
he was your man.
He'd stand (or sit, mainly, but it sure
looked like) on his porch and
pontificate to the passing cars on
progress and spiritual regression. In
younger days he'd worked death row at
Jackson County. says he drank more after
that
His hat was cocked forward and he'd move his
head to look you in the eye.
One day I stole five dollars from his house,
and later he told me
"Boy, that's all right." he said the angels
were coming for him;
and till the end he never lied, but
they left a little room for whiskey and Jesus

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The first thing you notice
'bout Samson is his laugh
which is as long and tall as him,
when the veterans paraded he waved to each
one on the trucks, yelling bonjour 
to the french infantry.
He'd always have something in his pocket
for you, gum or a pen or a handwritten note
which would say have a nice day as if it was a command from a fortune cookie.
They say he was the first one "of them" they let in
the courthouse, but now they overrun the place, 
but Samson ain't the kind to notice or care much anyhow,
he wore these olds boots and crazy ties, and brought
with it the stories of him and Joe Green in the jazz clubs
that nobody remembers, running out all the hours 
through the night, yet still on time in the morning
and talking and pointing and laughing, bringing the joy
of the night to the work of the day.

© All Copyright, 2000, Bradley Carson.
All Rights Reserved. Printed By Permission.