King for a Day

Golden Evening Primrose/ Titus Canyon

Waiting for the Reseda bus around 9 pm is a man with a short white beard on a softly sunken face. A small rainbow colored sack hangs from his shoulder.

"You a student?" he asks.
"No, I teach."
"Oh, wow. How'd you get to do that?"

I give him a 15 second summary of my academic career.

"Man, that's great."
"How about you? Did you just get off work?" I ask.
"You really wanna know?"
"Did you just get off work?"
"You really wanna know?"
"Sure."
"Just got outa prison."
"Oh, wow."

He nods at me intently.

"Hmmm...So, where were you at?"
"Corcoran."
He looks off at the stoplights as they cycle through. "2 years. I was into heroine. It got me in trouble."

He turns back to look at me. "But I'm clean now, with God's help."
"That's great. So... do they help you, y' know, when you get out?"
"200 dollars and see ya."
"What about a place to stay? Isn't there some kind of transitional housing?"
"Yeah. Right now I'm on the street, but I'm working on it."

The stoplights cycle through again.

"They have programs... I might even go back to school." He smiles, "I just have to get through each day--one at a time."

The bus arrives.

"Well, good luck."
"Hey, you're bringing me positive energy!"

I smile and look into his eyes blooming desert flowers.