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Dennis Cardiff

~ Poems & Prose

Dennis Cardiff

Daily Archives: May 25, 2013

Panhandling

25 Saturday May 2013

Posted by DennisCardiff in Poetry

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

compassion, despair, desperation, destiny, dreams, emotion, empathy, empowerment, eternal, fear, loneliness, longing, loss, loving kindness, mankind, philosophy, unconditional love, universe, world

Sleeping on the Sidewalk, Atlanta, Georgia

Sleeping on the Sidewalk, Atlanta, Georgia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


I sit on the sidewalk,
my upturned hat
in front of me,
hoping for spare change.
I’m forty years old.
I look older
because of the beard.
I’ve been on the streets
for twenty-two years.
I sleep on the sidewalk.

The sun is blinding.
My throat is parched.
I’m vaguely aware
of people walking past.
I feel disoriented,
light-headed.
I can’t remember
when I last ate.
I can’t remember
much of anything.
My life is a blur.

Occasionally,
someone will throw
a quarter
in my direction.

Some jerk just said,
“Get a job!”
“Hire me!” I said.
That’s a joke!
Most people
won’t look at me,
let alone employ me.

If I sit here long enough
the cops may run me in.
At least, I’ll get to eat.
I’ll be safe
for one night.

.

A woman waking up on a sidewalk in Bijapur, In...

A woman waking up on a sidewalk in Bijapur, India, under a Pepsi advertisement. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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