At the edge of the poetry reading
He stood as if he wanted to join
Tall with a patriarchal white beard
Dirty blue sweatshirt embroidered
With flowers, the smell of deep
Earth on him, hands stained dirty
A knit cap close on his head.
Finally he stepped forward, just
Five minutes, he asked, to tell you
The end of the world and proceeded
To lecture with clear eyes and voice
A confusion of biblical verses,
Wall Street, Masonic symbols,
Conspiracies, as poets toyed with
Their pencils and looked down.
Finally the timekeeper tapped
His watch and the leader shook
His head, sorry time is up.
The man stopped in mid-speech
Triumphant, see, he told them,
Five minutes and the whole story
And wandered away looking back
Expectantly as if the saved might
Follow him under the freeway
Bridge huddled against the rains.