Met a Physic

He told me what was wrong
in the plainest English
I’ve ever heard.

No academicese,
no made up words,
just people talk.

I listened, nodded
thoughts drifting
to a trip tomorrow where

@$#! Hey!
That hurt!
"Why'd you smack me?"

"Listen! You stupid boy!
I try to tell you,
and you don’t listen!

I apologize, nodding
then whistling a tune
I'd heard on the radio.

@$#! Hey!
That hurt!
"What'd you do that for?"

Soon he gave up
on me, or
I gave up on him.

I’ve never met a physic like him,
who can look inside and see
what's really happening.