Barber’s Assistant
Working the mean streets of Corzano
As a waiter, a hawker of stolen cigarettes,
An ice-cream seller,
Renowned as a “lady’s man,”
Known to have cheated on
And otherwise abused
His various wives,
Carried a musket for a month only, deserted,
Resumed his vagabond life in civil attire
With a capability for brutality
That he tries to escape,
Never had a day’s formal education,
Wandering disguised through the purlieus of the city,
Will he ever quit making flourishes
With that terrible blue silk handkerchief?
A cornetist, sent to America
To pursue work as a barber’s assistant.
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