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Ol’Josh
No one knows his story, he’s just another bum,
He stands there every morning no matter rain or sun,
He’s got the busiest corner, I see him every day,
Sometimes he gets my coffee change as I pass his way,
Some just look at traffic and pretend he isn’t there,
I’m sad that I’m no different. Most times I look elsewhere,
Then there’s times when I feel guilty, I could give a buck or two,
He always thanks me with a smile and says May God Bless you,
I heard he was a veteran, once a proud Marine,
But now a victim of the war and part of the homeless scene,
Once a young man dreaming of the future he would meet,
Never thinking he would ever be an eyesore on our street,
City Fathers are ashamed and take the blame for homeless just like him,
But the shame belongs to all of us, don’t push it off on them,
Addictive drugs and handicapped, years of pain and strife,
He didn’t die in Viet Nam, but it cost him his life,
One morning he was missing, two others stood out there,
A young man and his girl friend , with a dopers empty stare,
They were smoking cigarettes and had the nerve to shout,
For ,Dollar bills to buy food , They were homeless down and out,
Two days was all they lasted , then ol’Josh was back,
But wore a heavy overcoat and had a coughing smokers hack,
This time I gave two dollars ,looked like he could use a meal,
But he answered May God bless you with his usual friendly zeal,
I thought about him being sick , maybe I can make his day,
My spare bedroom is empty, I’ll offer him a place to stay,
It’ll only be for a day or two, that should be enough,
I drove back to make this offer, sometimes love is tough,
I was shocked to see the corner traffic and lights were flashing red ,
Ol”Josh lay there upon the sidewalk, he was cold and dead,
No more to stand there beggin lookin for a meager hand out,
He’s now in the hands of God-where he’ll never be without— Copyright © 2017 tom leftwich
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I believe your story poem fits many a street corner in cities and towns across the country. War changes our young people and they never seem the same. Some come back heroes, restart their lives and go on to lead society in business and government. But far more seem to have been affected in ways that they find hard to throw off and become alienated in one way or another.
I often think that these veteran homeless don't need a handout, they need a hand. But as long as we have a top-down society with only charity for those down and out, the problem will persist, regardless of measures put in like the well-meaning mayor of our fair city, Houston, has just done to try to alleviate the problem.
Ron
Love ya!
Jane