I was twelve when I first met him
As he sat in his Ford Gran Torino,
Canary yellow to be specific,
A Glock 40 on his lap.
He was calm, almost polite,
With a wry smile. I couldn’t
Help but be distracted by the
Long, ugly scar on his left cheek,
Extending nearly to his Adam’s apple.
I was too scared to ask him what happened.
He said, “Whachu want?”
I told him, “You know. Chiva.”
How much, little man?”
I realized for a hot second that he
Didn’t care I was only 12.
Why would that matter to a dope slinger?
©2016 Steven Barto
The Accidental Apologist 
This certainly wasn’t the kind of singer I was expecting. Really powerful stuff.
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He was a dope slinger, not a singer. Drug dealing is often called slinging dope. Thanks for your reply. Having come out from 37 years of active addiction myself, I feel compelled to carry the message in every form I can. I am currently back in college finishing my undergraduate degree in psychology and will be pursuing a masters degree in clinical counseling. I will be entering the field of addictions counseling next year, working primarily with teens and young adults.
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That’s what I get for reading without my glasses. I’m really glad you came out on the other side. I’m sure everything you’ve been through it only made you stronger and better.
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Thanks Wally. Disturbing yet unfortunately quite accurate.
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Wow…that’s rather disturbing. Good, though
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