GRANT GUY - POEMS

Grant Guy is a Winnipeg, Canada, poet, writer and playwright. Former artistic director of Adhere + Deny. His writings have been published in Canada, the United States, Wales, India and England. He has three books published. He was the 2004 recipient of the MAC’s 2004 Award of Distinction and the 2017 recipient of the WAC’s Making A Difference Award.

​PRETTY BOY FLOYD KNEW

​Water decided to make itself scarce
The unending dry mountain winds was damned to make sure
The rain did not come that summer
The cattle withered on the parched land
The rancher cursed the god he didn't believe in
 
The situation wasn't any better up north
 
California was a mess
Georgia wasn't so peachy
 
The sheep were sold off first
The cattle later
Ranches were foreclosed
 
But like time banks were eternal
Found away to make a buck or two or a million
Out of the dried blood of the ranchers
 
Pretty Boy Floyd knew that
And he knew how to make the bankers scream
 
 

HOBO

​I got nuthin’ & nuthin’s got me
So why all the long faces
I follow the highways
& the railways
& the sun & moon
& the days & years

All the same if you don’t keep track
 
Today I’m Tom
Tomorrow I will be Bill
Just last week I was Gene
Next Tuesday I think I will be Sam
When I’m paid I’m paid in cash
John Dough that’s me
 
There is a freedom not ownin’ anythin’’
Not against or for anythin’
You’re not even against Death
It is part of my nuthin’
 
I got it made
 
I ain’t no bum
 
I’m a
Hobo
 
Hobo
Pretty good
Hey
 
 

​he loved

​he loved his 1956 Ford & hated his father
his mother went to church every Sunday    did not believe in God
not until she was on her death bed
     (just in case)
 
his brother was dead    but rode his ass every day
 
he stole but hated it when people stole from him
he had a girlfriend & she had several boyfriends
he ate his vegetables but preferred Cheese Whiz
he was seventeen
          & the best years were behind him