Hard Boiled

Handful of sweets like teeth
launched with finesse
straight into his open mouth
makes you wince: head flipped back -
trilby soldered on -
and all over in no time.
Back to the broken nose
you first saw, and the glare.

Looking around won't help;
he knows how nerves work -
it's his living. His thoughts
aren't many but they're stark
and they cover this. Have to hope
something happens out of a book
and he loses interest and leaves.
Close your eyes like life won't end.