The Famous Cocky Paul

Sold cars Suckers caught looking Under the hood without a Flashlight Flaws disguised in sleight-of-mouth He kicked the tires Of many a re-tread Badgered old ladies for bundles Of ill-begotten cash A snake-charmer with a chubby, schoolboy smile So slick his hair sometimes Slid off his head. He did it his way Pants down in the back seat of respectability Before long His dingy, pot-holed lot Became a mega mall of Showroom flash and four-wheel dash An automotive mecca So successful children imitate His bad commercials on TV. Now he lives on the lake A stately mansion, white pillar and blasted brick Belongs to the Kings Canyon Country Club Where, it has been said They even named a sandwich after him Ham and turkey on rye with a very special Horsey sauce. (Previously published in ZZZ Zyne, XLII,2001)