Legacy

In tales of old
 the young lady or lad
  gets wise advice from
         his mom or dad.

in a garden green or maybe
        in front of a throne
maybe it's a wizard...
      I don't fuckin know,
            whatever.
ok, maybe it's an ogre
       at a plastic kitchen table
               smoking Winstons,
drinking coffee black and oily
        listening to shortwave
 on a radio big as a suitcase.

         mysterious advice, dispensed
by this mysterious advisor
      cloaked in his underwear,
   white V neck so old and thin
          like chicken skin
    a forest of black rebellious hair
          poking out.

               "Junior don't....puff..
           carry a fucking knife clipped to ...slurp..
                       your pocket.
           a knife they can see is worse than
                       no knife at all
       because if you have to use it, they should never see it
                   that's why, goddamit, otherwise
          you're just fucking playing and that's going to
                  get you killed, got it?"
       Merle Haggard is stuck in the suitcase with
                   a whining steel guitar, getting
                 attacked by static.
                        shut the fuck up
                and eat your cereal and don't tell
                       your mom I let you have
                            coffee.
                                           -Duarte Gaivota