Tags
charity, compassion, hunger, kindness, listening, mental health, Sociology, unconditional love, unemployment
A woman waking up on a sidewalk in Bijapur, India, under a Pepsi advertisement. (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.
.
Sleeping on the Sidewalk, Atlanta, Georgia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Buy my book for $0.99 — proceeds feed the homeless:
Gotta Find a Home; Conversations with Street People
http://buff.ly/1wyjiKS
Reblogged this on TOWER AND FLIGHTS.
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I’m always so moved by these posts
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very poignant and thought-provoking. I think the jerk that yelled “get a job!” is the saddest thing in this … being incapable of human understanding.
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