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Crows gather around him on the pavement,
waiting for crumbs. Only they see him,
in the maze of legs hustling past.
All his hope is for the next cup of coffee.
As he tries to connect with all the averted glances,
his hands and his heart slowly grow cold.
He starts each day with hope and desperation.
Each hour finds him more disheartened. But
he shares what he has with his friends, the crows.
For Kim's prompt at Verse First: Half and Half,
I chose a homeless young man.
So you begin and end with crows. Well, it worked well with me. And I see a powerful image of immense hope and inevitable hunger all at the same time. Loved reading it. :)
ReplyDeleteWow. This half and half thing breaks through the words we love in new ways. I see this unfolding, freezing, with a tiny flame of warmth.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the homeless know important it is to GIVE.
ReplyDeleteVery moving, Sherry.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and thoughtful portrait of a homeless Sherry!
ReplyDeletehe starts each day with hope and desperation...yes, i imagine so...i have spent a bit of time with homeless friends...its rough....i used to work a lot with them when i lived in MD
ReplyDeleteThis touches me deeply. Birds are so inspirational though.
ReplyDeleteLike your take, Sherry. It seems you are with crows, watching him 'in the maze of legs hustling past.'...
ReplyDeleteSad, but the hope here - he's sharing...
Oh, yours is the second poem to make me cry today.
ReplyDeleteOne of my nieces was on the verge of becoming homeless (going to live on the beach, she called it) and stopped at my brother's studio to tell him about it. He managed to convince her she needed to see a doctor to see if she was strong enough to do that, and of course when he took her to St. Paul's, they decided to keep her for a while. They got her on provincial disability as well as medication, found her a place to live and a part-time job nearby so she doesn't feel useless.
She lived with my other brother and his wife for several months before that, and with us for six months, too, but she wanted to be on her own.
This reminds me of a beggar in India who had a pack of puppies about him. That may not seem so strange, but dogs ae not sofavored in India. k.
ReplyDeleteCan't even imagine how one starts the day being homeless. Glad there's hope here.
ReplyDeleteSomeone who has nothing still tries to give more than receive! :D
ReplyDeleteAmazing :)
How each day unfolds, challenging..love the company with crows. You started and came there..yep a typical day for them. Heartfelt! sherry:)
ReplyDeleteBeautifully penned as always, Sherry! The truth is, my heart goes out to them. Wonder, how one starts and ends the day without a home....but, what a large heart he has!! I have seen dogs and cats sleeping with beggars on the roads...amazing friendship they share! Loved this....
ReplyDeleteyour poem shines a light on a growing problem in many major cities. people will ask, why isn't he's looking for a job, what's his family doing? we may never know the answers. but he may be disabled, he may has other reasons. nobody wants to be homeless in the streets, facing the elements.
ReplyDeletei liked how you start and end the poem with crows
It always amazes me how kind those down and out are and those who have it better than most are kinda mean. What is up with that?! I love crows~
ReplyDeleteWell done
Brilliant creation, Sherry. We see him as if sharing a seat on the cooling fall concrete.
ReplyDeleteYou made this method of constructing a poem work beautifully.
ReplyDeletewhen your friends are crows they can surely pick you clean..hope and desperation make for a powerful combination..so often they sit hand in conflict in the same hand..
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