No Dollar Blues

[Wjames]

Offer to buy a cigarette
off a man smoking outfront the bar
for a loonie, and he’ll smile
and give the smoke for free.

Ask the man if you can bum one,
and watch his eyes shift
left and right, before he says
the pack is empty.

Quick question, WJ. Does "outfront the bar" mean to suggest the man is in a good mood? High spirits? Does it change the poem if the man is approached "outfront the tax office", for example. If they have a fair demeanor I will usually give them 2 or 3. If I don't like their face then I'm the guy in the 2nd strophe.

Hey Tiger, I hadn't thought of that - in front of a bar is just the most common place I see people smoking and want one for myself.

I like that thought, though, I'm sure it's true - if you ask someone who's having a good time, they're probably much more likely to be generous.