A short piece of prosetry/flash fiction addressing the generations of more than one underprivileged class having to continually deal with derogatory and racist terms thrown at them. Only the ignorant should be surprised at what might happen.
Pockets
by Odin Roark
Just bendin’, pickin’,
thinkin’, and waitin’.
What stories boss man’s pockets could tell.
How they got worked over,
especially the front left
with those heavy key rings
for lockin’ this and that up… always
needin’ to lock up somethin’ so’s us pickers
can’t steal. Shee-it!
Least that’s what boss man wants to believe.
His breast pockets always got
pens and pencils clipped snug,
little securities for the scared, Jose like say.
Jose loves grinnin’ about the hip pocket,
the one used to be for boss man’s alligator wallet,
‘til he started usin’ it for his smartphone,
Sending the front office lots of “butt dialings”
from sittin’ too hard in that tractor of his,
watchin’ us berry pickin’ to feed his yearly salary,
and us for a just-get-by hourly wage.
Jose gets a big laugh over the riveted
little add-on-nothing-of-pouch right above
the right hand pocket.
Levi Strauss trademark, Jose calls it.
Boss man keeps his Trump casino chip
tucked in there. The “winnin’ chip”,
he calls it.
Must be nice.
Anyway…
It was Jose who taught me
About cargo pants, military camo style.
Pockets everywhere.
Got your Jim Bean pocket,
yo “chew” pocket,
buck knife pocket,
one even big enough fo’ this claw hammer
I carry, just in case anything needs openin’.
Hell, you can pack a day’s food in these compartments,
Leave the brownbag behind.
Jose wears his everywhere.
Pickin’, drinkin’, sleepin’,
you name it.
Says he’s keepin’ the big holster-sized pocket
special for whatever he finally decides to pull from there.
Jose’s a grown up anchor baby
with anchor babies of his own,
and well…he’s pissed. Not happy with the term.
Not at all.
My folks came from another continent,
so havin’ so much southern stuff runnin’ through me,
I’m just not sure I agree with him givin’
so much thought to that big empty pocket...
at least for now, anyway.
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Thanks for filling me in on what that little pocket within a pocket was for. I always thought it was for a pocket watch. I think I may have put coins or keys in mine, but that was so long ago I don't even remember. Always wore Levi's jeans or cords.
It was interesting to see how you made a story of denim pockets.
Ron