Purty on the Inside

“You been out to El Malpais … the badlands west of Albuquerque?” asked Mikey.

“Yeah, I’ve been out there a few times, especially climbing around the sandstone overlook,” replied Pitcairn.

“You been down in the really rugged badlands? Where there’s nothing but broken rock and a few piss ass shrubs?”

“No, not there.”

“I walked out in the middle of that mess. Sat down and waited for God knows what. Sat long enough that I saw how purty it was. Awful ugly on the outside, but sweet as can be when you get past the ugly.”

“Mikey, you’ve got the heart of a poet.”

“Screw that, buddy! But you can buy me a sweet roll.”

“Done,” Pitcairn replied as he waved to the waitress.