Roman Free

Roman and The Itch.

 

Roman is raging, shouting at a wall

of a warehouse on an empty street.

 

Roman, are you gonna be a problem?

 

“Nooohhh.

I jus’ doan wanna drink.

It makes me wanna cry 

cuz I’ll buy one and another 

and another and then....”

 

Can you bed down

or do I need

to take you to detox?

 

“Why would you do that?”

 

I don’t want problems.

Our #1 call is drunks 

yelling in the street.

 

“Can I show you my finger?”

 

It’s missing. 

His left ring finger

is gone at the first joint.

 

“I had a pimple. 

I lanced it myself.

It got M-R-S-A 

and they had to amputate.”

 

Does it hurt?

 

“Nawh, but I get phantom pains.

You know what the trick is?”

 

Nope.

 

“You itch the finger that’s not there.

It works!”

 

I hand him a Vionex.

so he can clean the new stump.

 

Take care of yourself Roman.

 

“I promise I’ll go to sleep.”