it's a living

do you have jumper
cables
the man asks as you pull
into a 7 11.
his hood is up,
he's sweating.
he has a wrench in his hand
and three kids
in the car.
a dog too.
it's hot out.
but no, you don't have
any jumper cables.
can you give me five dollars
then, he
asks,
just to have a truck come
to jump me.
the kids, all with saucer
eyes,
brown as coffee,
the woman in the front seat
reading from
a magazine. the dog
near death, panting,
his mangy head
out the window.
you give him the money
then go into the store.
by the time you come out,
he's driven away.