she's due in June

i go down

to the bank to take out cash

to bail

a friend out

of the jump.

he's behind bars again

for nonpayment of child support.

a mere

four or five

thousand

dollars

in arrears. he was

married for one year,

one child,

and now seventeen years later,

he's still dealing

with the financial

and emotional woes

of falling in lust

not love.

he's haggard

when they let him out.

three days

in the can, his belt gone,

his shoelaces

off, and wearing an orange

jumpsuit,

just like all the other men.

but i see he's

made some new friends.

and has a new

tattoo on

his arm,

with the initials of his new

girlfriend.

Amber, a dancer,

downtown.

she's due in June.