Don't lose your music: worker scholar whose power comes from within

Tony Robles
Friday, November 14, 2008;

Time Warp

He wears a white
T shirt with a
Gold chain dangling
From his neck

Calls everybody
Homey, even the
White guys

Carries a mini
Boom box
Radio

He’s 44 years old
And has never
Held a job

He had a bad
Car accident that
Left him disabled

He now works in a
Warehouse heat sealing
Cellophane packages
courtesy
Of a job training
program

It’s his first
Gig

but his real job
Is recording cassette
Tapes

He calls them
“mix tapes”

He has all
The slow jams
From 30 years ago

He sell ‘em for
2 dollars a pop,
sometimes 3 for
5 dollars

He talked me into
Buying 2 tapes
The other day

I didn’t have the
Heart to tell him that
I don’t listen to
cassettes
Anymore

I gave it up
About 10
Years ago

All my music
Is on CD’s now

But I keep it
To myself

Guys like him
Are just like
Good music

They never go
Out of
Style