Veneer

For Kevin’s No Theme Thursday: 09.26.24

Together they fake
the crowd in their wake
split apart to envy the things they lack.
The thinnest veil that hides the crack
of east side train tracks.
The corner liquor store,
whores and babies crying behind closed doors,
hungering for more.

But someone knew a guy who knows a guy.
He’s got jobs on the fly.
Don’t ask questions.
Just hand over the package.
It’s easy to manage,
but pack a piece in case there’s damage.

Hey man, you’re doing alright,
though looking calm takes all your might.
Steady handshake cool.
Easy smile to disarm the fool.
Earn their trust.
Get them on a bus.
Don’t worry where they go.
It’s not for you to know.
The boss takes a notice.
The young ones get you a bonus.
Go another mile,
for a bigger piece of the pile.

Keys to a Bugatti,
how about a Ferrari?
Tuxedo nights diamond days,
no ones cares who pays.
Bottomless cash,
lots of friends and trash.
Party all night
wound up tight,
with the train way out of sight
A girl for your troubles…

Here – make it a double.

Success has a price.
What you’re doing, you know ain’t right.
Barney’s got some questions.
Hey, here’s a suggestion;
target on your back,
stick to the facts.
Don’t worry about fuzz,
‘coz we all know what money does.

But, you forget what you’ve been taught
not all can be bought.
Fraught without the dark,
fear makes its mark.
A figure in the night, in a room full of light
hiding in plain sight.
A shadow behind the glass,
then slip away just as fast.

There’s a chill in your spine.
No man, it’ll be fine,
Make your way across the floor.
Out the door.
No one followed.
The unhallowed streets 
that hold  protection
against the city’s infection.

Its all sick.

Then you hear a click…

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NOTES:
My immediate though about this image was the obvious – James Bond. But what if Bond wasn’t that good of a guy? I started thinking about the TV series American Greed. I watch that show way too much, btw.

Many of the people highlighted in that show are good-looking, or at least charismatic in some fashion. You find out quickly that most of their life is an illusion. At heart, they are ugly to the core. I also wanted to create a villain for my other poem, Shadow man.

So this suave, handsome devil was actually a kid born on the wrong side of the tracks. He worked his way up through the ranks, first as a runner, then as a human-trafficker. It’s one of the most despicable of crimes, so I used it as my defense for him getting waxed at the end (or did he…?)

Anyway, what started as a poem turned into more of a rap. At least that’s how it reads to me. This is really weird considering I’m not a big fan of the genre. I guess it’s the bassist in me always paying more attention to the rhythm. Then again, I wasn’t a big fan of poetry up until a few months ago when I started this blog. So go figure…