The making money spirit
Rode side saddle with
Twinges of slipping sanity

He stood by the road
Fighting a lame leg
And the lethargy of selling papers
In the cold wind above I-95

The news must have been better
Than hawking the product
Because this man was reading gibberish
Out loud for anyone to hear
If not for the whir of traffic below

His will, though, stronger than distractions
From mental health, skeletal pains, or stopped traffic
Persevered and rallied
As one window rolled down

He took the money first
Completed the transaction with a paper from the middle
And went back to reading as the light turned green