the true cross

constantio teotedesco of romania/transylvania

was applying guma laca to an old piece of furniture

and making it shine like a collector’s garage-kept ’57 buick

this other guy was making in-laid wooden clothes hangers

and i asked why

he said he was doing it for the fun of it

cause no one buys them

i asked his name

and he said Cruccia

the italian word for clothes hanger

i asked if he was joking

he thought i wanted the name of the thing he was making

and i finally got his real name, eugenio

i wasn’t sure if he was kidding

because it sounds like the italian word for genius

but is eugene

it’s tough being a foreigner

passing through, among friends

in a little workshop in roma