The stoic man with the fake beard
Like bootleg cotton candy,
Stationed in front of Rite Aid
Swung a mean bell.

So mean I couldn’t tell
He only did it one month a year.

Waiting for my transfer to the 94
On my way to junior college,
I walked up to his red pot,
Nodded,
And dropped in
Thirty-seven cents.

The stoic man with fake beard
Like bootleg cotton candy,
Looked me up and down
And the second person retort
Went,
“You cheap mother fucker…”

And I stopped
Believing
In Santa.