Liking John Prine

"Did you eat your tangerine?"

I like
John Prine,
especially a line
from his obituary
years ago
about characters
and creating them.

More or less, 
he said,
"Rather than
creating new ones,
I just sit 
and watch and listen,
that's really all
you need to do.

John Prine, 1946 - 2020.

The characters 
are already 
out there!"

So, with that in mind,
on our flight
a day or two ago
from SFO to DC,
I sat and watched and listened
as the wife of the man
sitting next to me,
asked her husband:

"Did you eat
your tangerine?"

"Sure did," 
he replied.

"So where's the peel?"
she inquired.

"I put it in my pocket,"
he said sheepishly,
knowing that answer
wouldn't fly
with his wife.

"It's going to be a mess!"
she said.

"Likely!" he replied.

She just stared at him,
he stared back at her
and shrugged.

He looked at me
and we shrugged
at each other.

Then all three of us
quietly turned to our books
and hunkered down
for the four-hour flight.

John Prine 
would like
that guy!