Mother's Day It was Mother's day.
I was walking with my mother down 86th street.
A shabbily dressed, unshowered man walks in front of us.
He carries an extravagant lamp in his rusty cart.
"that's a nice lamp", mother tells him as he's pushing past.
"Wanna buy it?" he asks from his toothless mouth.
"Oh... I don't know..."
"Four dollars."
"Okay... I don't think I have correct change... no small bills... do you have change for a twenty?"
"I don't have money."
"Oh."
"I do", I told her. I fished through my wallet.
"It's a nice lamp... where'd you find it?"
Reeking of garbage, he says, "I find antiques... I'm good at it."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I found a rolex watch once."
"Wow."
"I ate steak and eggs that night... that was when I had teeth!"
"Ah, yeah, steak does take teeth."
I find four singles. "Here."
"Here's your lamp."
"Happy Mother's day."