I pulled into Bethlehem
Sixty miles from Nazareth
Who knew to say amen to PA
Dreamed of leaving Saginaw
And heading not far enough south
Got a job as a forklift driver
Punched a clock at a cold storage
Quit for Fort Lauderdale FLA
Traded Harley Davidson beer
For a place to sleep and a seat at the bar
Ambled to Key West
Camped in a tent and slept on lawns
And post office parking lots
Thrown in jail in Beaumont Texas
For getting drunk and fighting
The KKK where it lives
Seems like a bad idea
Broke down losing a tranny
Inches from Cody Wyoming
Accidentally went fishing
With a killer
That guy really hated
Got to San Fran in time for
The ’89 earthquake and into
L.A. in time for mother’s to cringe
And pull children to the other side of the street
When our long hair came towards
Headed to Mexico for Johnny Carson
In Spanish and cockroaches on the bar
Threatened jail in Tijuana
By Mexican cops looking to make a buck
Landed in Vegas and met some ladies
Ran over a wild boar in Texas
Can’t stop to clean the car
Carried the stench to New Orleans
Put on a mask and walked in a cemetery
Pointed north
Kicked out of St. Louis for disparaging Bud
Kicked out of Iowa for cursing in a pub
Can’t go to heaven for fear of the snub
So went to Wisconsin
Landing in the summer with a fin
Bought a drink and a sin
That was one helluva vacation
Can’t wait to get back to Saginaw
And get laid off again

from Fat Poet Dies in Grain Elevator Accident & Other Poems

#NationalPoetryMonth

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