The word from the street
TONY
“Hey Phil, want to hear about some idiot being really mean-spirited. Someone left me some cheese, a block of it, you know the Cracker Barrel kind. So when I find the cheese this morning, it’s gotten stepped on. Believe it or not, There was also a little note on it saying ‘you deserve it.’ ”
PHIL
“C’mon. You’re making this up.”
TONY
“Phil, when you’re on the streets, this sort of stuff can happen to you.”
Hi all,
The photos we wrote about on April 13 2008 in Irked Magazine have just appeared online.
The photos were captured by world-famous photographer, Jim Allen.
Tony and Philip
TONY
“You know, I just got 2 bucks from the guy who writes up the parking tickets on Ronces. He’s always been a pretty good guy.”
TONY
“Did you see Bruce today?”
PHILIP
“Who?”
TONY
“Come on, you know the guy I’m talking about. He had the scraggly beard and was shouting inside Alternative Grounds and pressing doorbells. You know the guy I’m talking about?”
PHILIP
“Yup. What happened to him? He seemed totally out-of-it the last time I saw him.”
TONY
“Well, he got himself cleaned up, got his beard shaved and everything. You know, what he told me was that he finally went down to the St. Joe’s and asked for some help and they actually gave it to him. If you ask me, I didn’t think he had it in him. Shows you what I know.”
“Anyway, believe it or not, I gave the guy a loonie; he really needed it.”
PHILIP
Are you voting?
TONY
“No but I’d vote for that Dion guy from the Liberals but I can’t vote since I don’t have an address.”
PHILIP
“Harper’s gotta go.”
TONY
“You know, he thinks homeless people should just get off their ass and get a job. He doesn’t understand how it is on the street. He should be in our shoes for a year or two, if you know what I mean.”
TONY
“You’ve just gotta be kidding me? Somebody out there is saying that I got a van and an apartment — they even said it was a pretty nice place ? What planet is she from?”
You know, if she’s saying that it’s that I’m lazy, I got news for you, you try doing what I do every day and see how far you’ll get if you act lazy. If you ask me, I’d be dead in a week.”
PHILIP
“Who are you waving to?”
TONY
“That the Police Supervisor’s car. I know all the older guys. Problem is, sometimes the rookies are pretty suspicious of me.”
Homeless Man Speaks 