Man in Need

 

He limps along the sidewalk, barely seen

by passersby for whom appointments wait

and little pleasures fill the day's routine.

 

The curbsides, cracked and icy, complicate

the man's attempts to navigate the street.

 

Around him swirls a surly cloud of dust

and litter. Faceless tower walls compete

to block the light and force a wintry gust

upon the alleyway. An eerie blend

of shadows gathers in the dusk, concern

arises in the man, his journey's end

still blocks away. Then kindly people turn

the corner, faces never seen before:

they seize the moment, take him to his door.