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All his possessions

in a shopping cart

left on the parking lot

of despair

 

he's got rags piled in there

along with aluminum cans

and plastic bags full of

stuff he found on the street

 

people shy away

dogs growl

but he means no harm

as he rolls down the road

he's on his way to the mission

for a cup of coffee and a doughnut

 

he tells them he's been saved

to qualify for kindness

then shuffles off down the sidewalk

going to the camp he knows

where lonely souls gather

lost men who call it home

 

no one can be trusted

there's evil in the air

he sits under the bridge

to try to sort things out

 

there is no goal or future

he can't remember

who or where he is

he just wants to be

left alone

 

like an old shoe

found on the highway

tossed away

no strings attached.

 

 

◄ Requiem For Moth

Assisted Sleeping ►

Comments

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jennifer Malden

Sat 20th Oct 2018 16:32

Great writing yet again. Really envy those of you who can produce good work so regularly, and about such
ordinary everyday happenings.

We rarely used to see homeless people on the street here, but now there are so many. It's easy to fall through the welfare net if you lose your home/job, or get divorced and have to reduce a low salary when paying alimony for kids or wife. In the winter it's really awful to have nowhere to sleep under cover.

Jennifer

d.knape

Thu 18th Oct 2018 22:30

For all you nice folks who respond
to my poems
I want to say I cannot respond to each
and every one of you but
i am so happy to get your comments
and impressed that you
would ever care

I thank you sincerely from the bottom
of my heart.

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M.C. Newberry

Thu 18th Oct 2018 12:19

These lines bring the memory of a guy who used to be around my local streets and who could be the model for them - heavily bearded and hairy so that age was difficult to
discern; wearing heaven knows how many layers of clothing
under his jump-suit style outer garment - and the custodian
of a trolley from a well-known supermarket filled with all
sorts of stuff clearly collected from the street on his travels.
He was never any "trouble" from what I saw of him, just
a feature of the local landscape. This poem made me
realize I haven't seen him around for some time. I wonder
now - what happened to him? A worthwhile job by the
writer. Well done for the "blog-a-jog!"!

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Don Matthews

Wed 17th Oct 2018 23:08

Well written dk.

I understand what Brian is saying. There are two types of 'beggars'. The genuine homeless and those not homeless but choose it as a lifestyle. ?

<Deleted User> (19836)

Wed 17th Oct 2018 21:37

A sad but all to true tale. Excellent writing!

Big Sal

Wed 17th Oct 2018 20:52

You could write a book with your wide ranging ability to write about an abundance of themes and topics.

Not a page would be boring to read. Great piece, the 'old shoe' line resonated with me the most upon reading.

?

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Taylor Crowshaw

Wed 17th Oct 2018 17:43

Yes D.K. great poem you have captured perfectly the hopelessness.. Last stanza says it all..?

<Deleted User> (18980)

Wed 17th Oct 2018 17:33

Yes it is sad to see people that seem to have slipped through the cracks in society and we can only feel sorrow for them.

On the other hand (and I expect to take some flak over this) there are are lot of others who beg on the streets or intimidate people, particularly females, at cashpoints and parking ticket machines. In my own town I know for certain that a number of them are not homeless and they beg as a lifestyle choice. They let their dogs crap all over the town centre and leave empty beer cans and cider bottles where they want to with no thought or respect for anybody else. And yet a whole army of left wingers demand that I love and respect them. Which I don't.

<Deleted User> (18118)

Wed 17th Oct 2018 17:13

Brilliant.
Love this poem. We've all seen people like this.
Most pass by without a thought but this gives the person life and a character.

Hannah

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