A Down Neckers Tale.wmv

A Downnecker's Tale
(Jimmy the Barber)

I.

Jimmy "the Welder" told me the story of Jimmy "the Barber".
I knew the Jimmy "the Barber", with his Coca-Cola bottle bottom glasses
and his sand-paper voice, always saying, "now you're cookin' with GAS!
(This was the same as saying; "Now you're talking!").
Jimmy's Barber Shop was on the corner from my house, across the street
from the welding shop. Jimmy was married for over 50 years.

II.

Jimmy "the Barber" didn't like "those" people.
Whenever "those" people came into his shop for a haircut,
he would have a different price list and offer them the
"porkchop chop", the "spic-a-rican special", and even the "illegal cut".
No, Jimmy "the Barber" never celebrated "National Brotherhood Week".

III.

One night, Jimmy "the Barber" went down his basement steps in the dark,
but lost his balance and broke his arm as he landed on the
concrete floor. His wife, hearing
the commotion, rushed to the stairs, turned on the light, only to see
her husband prone and in agony. Her heart immediately gave out as
she tumbled down the stairs like a bird shot out of the sky, landing
next to Jimmy. "Oh, my Estelle, my poor Estelle!", Jimmy screamed
these words, interrupted by periodic intervals of sobbing.

IV.

The next day, a nosey neighbor (one of "those" people), heard the cries
and called the Police ("those" people), who called the volunteer
Ambulance (manned by "those" people). They took them both away.
Jimmy "the Welder" promtly got back into his truck, and we went
to the next job.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Poetry
• Newark
• NJ
• Ironbound