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Mike Roman
Sunglasses on 24 hours a day Rail thin in Levis and boots in the summer Or underneath 3 sets of overalls in the winter Driving a giant pickup full of motors Pipes Amplifiers Sheet metal Auto Parts Tires Wrenches And dogs, dogs, dogs Friend to every stray dog and cat, no matter how dirty, unwanted or abused And he treated people the same way. He showed me that it is possible to live in America without compromise Without a shopping mall Without accepting conventional wisdom, the staus quo, Mayor Daley's "help" or calling the cops. It's not easy to live this way in Chicago Or anywhere, once you commit to fixing everything yourself Houses, cars, animals, friends... And I'm not as tough as Mike, But he set an example for lots of us And did with good humor and crackling, raspy laughter. I'll miss him.
- Bobby Conn--aka Jeff Stafford, August 23rd, 2010, Humboldt Park, Chicago, IL
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