Statue of Liberty

Tax deadline neared.

What remained of

doddering Uncle Sam

crawled to collect.

The Statue of Liberty

stood on a sidewalk,

wearing a sandwich board sign

advertising a tax special courtesy

of a chain preparer.

I saw Lady Liberty’s face.

It was a man,

sunglasses and loafers,

a Coos Bay homeless man,

smiling, waving the torch

with panache.

He looked high

but at least not vacant.

The tax preparer had hired him.

Lady Liberty had a job!

Paid in cash.

9 to 5.

Standing all day.

Even in rain.

A huddled mass.

Coffee and corn dogs

delivered by a homeless buddy.

How that rogue

handshake hiring

came to be

reveals the secret formula

to solve homelessness.