no
it wasn't      normal
Pedro sent almost all of his money and sketches
back to San Pedro
worked harder than any Christian
his zeal a thing of wonder      
his sketches beautiful
he etched with a pencil
carved with charcoal
made statues on paper with
fine line
on the job his work was
impeccable every grout line aligned every tile flat
every customer satisfied
then I had to see his lifeless body
on a stretcher carried       out by the
emergency workers
still
blue I recall
not like him
not at all like Pedro
to be quiet for so long
he died
hunched over a toilet
almost hugging it
I did know right away
his family back in San Pedro was going to miss him