5 Hustler themed haiku
– In memory of Freddy ‘The Beard’ Bentivegna and all other pool hustlers up there
It’s them, going to work when everybody else is done. Acting in the dark. Distracting and deceiving. Two-faced people who master the art of impression management. Playing people with their tricks like magicians. It’s their income. Their rush. Their need. Their life. It’s what they do:
“Give him every morning the money that he may gain during the day, on condition that he does not play – you will make him unhappy. It will perhaps be said that what he seeks is the amusement of play, not gain. Let him play for nothing; he will lose interest and be wearied” [1]
#1
A cold winter night:
the hustler holding his cue
taking their money
#2
Dark winter morning:
hustlers walking down the street
their hands holding cash
#3
First hot summer night:
people trying to cool down
hustlers warming up
#4
Distraction is key,
tricks are used upon himself
a hustler beaten
#5
The sound of pool balls,
two-faced person deceiving
one hustler at work
[1] Polsky, N. (1967) Hustlers, Beats, and Others Chicago, Aldine Publishing Co..
Read The “Encyclopedia” of Pool Hustlers for all Freddy’s stories about other pool hustlers.
