Pushing his grocery cart with all his worldly goods

Sipping from a hot cup of coffee to fight the winter cold

His long, dirty hair, dirty body, dirty clothes smelled a bit

No place to take a bath when living in the streets

He stopped to watch a mother and child decorate

the front lawn  

Memories of long ago brought tears to his eyes

Seems like yesterday; he and his mother, in the front yard

decorating the house for Christmas

It was so long ago; he wished he was home; he wished for

the good times with love, joy and laughter

Some see him as a bum; too lazy for work; some see him as

a low class, just a dirty old scum

He was once a proud man; once had loved ones, a home, a

job and a car

Time gone bad, jobs lost, no money for mortgage or paying

the bills

Family lost, stress and confusions set in; where did it all go

wrong?

People passed by and remarked, lazy old man, should get

himself a job

People passed by and frowned at him

A couple passing by handed him two dollars; he quietly

thanked them

Another hot cup of coffee to help fight the cold winter night

Walking on down the street he passed a house with

Christmas music playing “Silent Night” he stopped to listen

for awhile

Oh, how he wished he was home; he longed for the times

when love and family was all around

So long ago; his family no more; just a lonely old man in a

lonely town

A young woman passing by handed him a ten dollar bill; he

whispered thank you

To the woman it was just extra change; to the old man it

was gold in his hand

A little more to eat; more hot coffee for the cold, winter

nights

People stopped to give him money; they seldom stopped to

talk

So cold; so lonely; he said to himself as he pushed his cart

to his sleeping place

Back of a building; close to the wall, to help block the wind

and the bitter cold

He placed a dirty blanket over cardboards to lay on; another

dirty blanket from his cart to cover himself; so cold, so

lonely the old man was

He thought of Christmastime past; the good times he had

when love, family and friends, did surround him

His mind wandered from the loneliness and the bitter cold;

somehow, he managed to fall asleep

Remember the homeless at Christmas time, if only in your

prayers.