-art student flees the crime scene on foot-

It wasn’t a crime of note on the national front.

in fact no notes were taken at the scene of the crime.

besides, who can say a crime was even committed

without the credible testimony of living witnesses?

certainly not me.

but the cops are sure to ask questions:

"where you two guys from?

you got marijuana needles on ya"?

It was enough to cause

an art student to flee the scene on foot,

but I stayed-put to answer questions:

"we’re from here, officer.

we go to art school on Hawthorn, just around the corner.

I was putting the final touches on a picture

I  like to call: "The Nun Painting" and my friend, well,

he just finished hanging this real big charcoal drawing

he called: "The Kiss"–– nice drawing.

anyway,  um.. we decided to take a break, so we held-up

that little bodega across the street over there and my pal,

well, he shot the clerk and some pain-in-the-ass

innocent bystanders and he took off that-a-way with the loot."

New Bedford Street Scene / 1965

("pain-in-the-ass innocent bystanders" is lifted from

  the Sicilian quotations of Peter Clemenza)