Anna Couani #225 the neighbour after RV's The Odd Neighbour

I walk to the next block and back

come across the bloke

who's been sitting on our doorsteps

every morning

7am bottle of beer in a paper bag

the evidence 

an empty bottle from yesterday

placed upright on the kerb opposite

the story pulls me along

lags when he disappears

next to him the faithful dog

this is not fiction 

a bull terrier 

scary

like his owner

both burly and short haired

on the way back

a couple of large turds

more evidence

he doesn't hang with the usual

crowd of drunks at the corner pub

is usually gone by 9

not that he works

the regulars shake their heads

sitting on their beers at 8am

say, nah, no

he's definitely beyond the pale

recently come out of jail 

then he's gone again

and leaves a few memories 

of the Japanese sword he got sharpened

of the time he borrowed $5