pirate man

he's a pirate
without a ship. without
a parrot.
without a sword,
or cross boned black flag.
he's alive.
peg armed
and legged.
a barrel bellied man
at 60,
striped in an old ragged
shirt.
cigarette smoke
and beer still
keeping
him miraculously alive.
he's got the system
figured out.
the po po,
the hospital, the doctors.
he's full of sin
but too tired to make it
happen. he's
full of vinegar,
bloodied piss and
broken toothed grins.
he laughs
at it all, he hasn't
sunk yet.
not even the sharks
will take a bite of him.