The Salesman - Jan. 17, 2026

on the roof we talk solar

he, with laugh large and soft

like a morning sun and eyes

like the dusty glint off glass

gentle, not harsh

ten minutes later we’re

ten pages into the open

book of his life

and a couples pages into mine

eventually, the facts, the numbers

the thousands of dollars

start to skitter around our feet

they seem annoying compared

to the feeling of an old friend

cloaked as a salesman on a white roof

sometimes an unexpected transaction

outbids the one on the table

and you say without thinking

I’ll take both!