He served in Viet Nam
called himself Sir Speedy
showed me a picture of him

old dogeared
wrinkled old
picture

Polaroid blurred
with time n tears
Him n his army finery

him n his brother,
killed in the war,
both of 'em green beret
                         1968.

We sat on that burned out
brown n abrasive grass,
shared a cigarrette

he knew how to roll 'em
with one hand
n a gleam of delight

We share our smoke
n a couple of stories
from the Road

And then he reaches in deep
into his greasy filth
backpack

An' 'e pulls out a 40-ounce beer.

It was a label
I was not familiar with
called "Steel Reserve":

It gleamed lean
tall, silver and blue
with one red ribbon of valor

Hard Metal
Steel Reserve
Chromium plated and stark.

He pulls the tin tab
with one hand
like he done his cigarrette

his eyes, blue
like the beer can blue,
glinting in the desert sun.

Takes a swig,
long jugglar guzzle
and 'e come up for air

wipe his mouth
with the back of 'is hand
in contentment

passes the can
my way
hands it to me

like Christ
passing the grail.
-- that reverent.

And he begins
to tell me
'bout the time

he served
as a Captain
in the Green Beret.

He growls to me
his grisled grit, his wet
stories, all he knew

and I held that beer
in one hand
and drank it all down

I drank it all down

It was a bitter brew...

Knight of the Railroad Tracks
Captain of my Heart
He say:

"Man...let it rain
Let it rain, let it Rain, let it rain ---
an' I'll tell you WHAT ---

...Let it cover up...
My Tears."