A homeless women finds help at a local food pantry during Christmas

Gloria

Her cart was empty
No food this week
Hannaford’s lights were on
She was one of the meek.

Swallowing pride
Tasted bitter, again
Nothing else in her stomach
Help may come, but when?

She had just one number
To call if she needed
Alex answered the first time
Cries for help always heeded.

“I need food” she mumbled
“OK, tell me where”
“Hannaford’s, Camden”
“I’m in Searsport. Stay there”

“Wait, the Food Pantry is near
Can you get there soon?”
“I can walk and I will
Meet you there by the moon”

She was not at the Pantry
But she called on the phone
“I’m close but I’m lost
And I’m here all alone.”

When they got there
They saw she had just a cart.
Homeless in Camden?
It broke Tatum’s heart.

Alex and Tatum took Gloria
And her cart
To the Food Pantry near
To give her a start.

Hospitality House said
“Bring Gloria here,
We can help her a lot
She has nothing to fear”



The next day the phone rang
“Gloria’s gone”
Alex was shocked
What could have gone wrong?

He left her with food
They took her to a hotel
“She was fine when we left her
I think all went well.”

Gloria left her small cart behind
She walked off that same evening
Last words:
“Everything’s fine”

Maine is a place
Where everywhere is home
We are proud of that view
We take care of our own.

But Gloria slipped
Through a small crack in time
Now we worry about
Who else we left behind…

The only solution
Is biblical and true :
Take care of each other
The other could be you.

Tom Crowley – 12/18/15

Based on the true experience of three people who met by chance and were forever changed.