Gabe hangs his shirt on the nail
that holds up his mailbox. It’s a
gray day and he hopes it will dry
before he has to go to work
but he won’t use his quarters
to pay for the dryer because he’s
trying to save three dollars to buy
a yo-yo for the kid who lives in
2B. He thinks the boy deserves it
even though he talks nasty but
more than makes up for it by
sharing his Red-Hot Cheetos with
the sick girl in 3C. The building manager,
Mrs. Martinez, was Gabe’s mentor.
She held rent checks and he believes
was responsible for the mysterious
appearance of food for hungry
families and other local miracles.
He knows her death has left a hole
in the angel hierarchy and prays
if he gets the promotion, it comes
with a stipend.


From Snapshots (Kelsay Books, 2022).
This poem first appeared in The MacGuffin.
Used here with permission.