He Had Love Written All Over Him

[couchgrouch]

He Had Love Written All Over HimJasper looked at the photosquinted his left eyetold the detective"yeah, that's the guyI remember the first time he came inhe had love written all over himtook off his Pantera shirthis heart was pumpin' winesaid he wanted ink for his sweet thingswore it was love this timewell, hell that's how I make a livin'but I also know that tatts can be unforgivin'one over a damn fool's heartbecomes a tinted scarand mister...strictly off the recordmy license is expired and my past is checkeredand I think workin' girls are cheaper than a wifetwo tens and a five take a short driveget your thrill and still keep your lifebut I guess I digressand the long story short is with all that port to drinkhe never felt the needle or inkleft with a half-moon grincos he had love written all over himtwo years go byin comes the same guydrinkin' an Arby's shakesays his guts are an infernohis belly hurts cos Thunderbirdis like drinkin' Sternohe lost his job as a foremanof pier twenty-one's longshoremenhis wife left a messageabout better pay and better menthe mirror was her paperLady Speedstick was her penthen he showed me a wedding ringsaid it was mine if I'd remove his inkbut I only take cashso I told him of some pawnshops where he'd get money in a flashthen Jasper tipped his pocket flaskand said "sorry but I gotta askwhat's goin' on...did I do somethin' wrong"the cop said..."naaahI just knowyou're a tattoo Van Goghwhen I raised that guy's shirtI recognized your workit looks like you wrotehis suicide notewhen he put that pawnshop piece under his chinhe had love written all over him"(c)2006 Robert George