Suspicious Male

Asking Riverdale Residents

Unusual Questions

 

-headline from local newspaper 

 

The two-column story at the top of the page

says last week, in Riverdale, 

on a night when it rained,

residents complained a man came to their door

asking strange questions and making odd claims.

 

Two deputies came to the scene right away.

Evenin’, they said, they asked him his name 

and they looked at each other 

when he told them “Tre Price”;

the ID he showed them said “Charles Vincent White.”

 

Well, said the deputies, 

Tre, or Charles, whichever is right,

how come you’re out here on such a bad night? 

Knocking on doors, making strange claims. 

People called us, complaining, 

nice people, Tre/Charles,

and it’s late and it’s raining.

 

The two-column story goes on to explain 

“Tre Price” is an alias

“Charles White” is his name

and that night he was knocking 

on Riverdale doors by the dozen

to be near a TV,

to watch “Wheel of Fortune” and see Vanna, his cousin.

 

Charles White was convinced he was part of her clan

and the world would soon know 

because they had a plan;

it would be on TV,

the message revealed as only she can, 

by letters that turned in her manicured hand.

 

They thought he was drunk. 

They thought he was high. 

They thought that Tre/Charles might be out of his mind.

 

Now the Riverdale lockup is where he resides.

 

Crazy, isn't it; “Wheel of Fortune”, Vanna. 

Cousins and all that. 

But let’s say, just for kicks

for fun,

just for laughs

 

man comes to your door,

says, sometimes I can’t take the pain.

 

Sometimes I need somewhere to go when it rains.

 

Sometimes I need someone to just say my name.

 

One column, maybe, bottom of the page, 

and it’s crazy, alright—who talks that way?

 

But what do you do when the houses look warm.

 

When it’s dark and there’s laughter and the TVs are on.

 

Maybe it's crazy.

But what do you say

when there’s nowhere to go—

 

and you’re a man in the rain.