His only hope was the lotto
he had no other hope
so he entered the numbers
like a beggar begging to God for mercy
all his concentration was upon his task
his day's only meaningful event
he sweated out the billion to one chance
as he scratched out each number
He had to guess all six to win
Just one win
and that would be God's atonement to him.
Who else put him into the heat of the summer
into this bowl of humidity
into this city cracked and crumbling
on sidewalks filled with dogshit?