Turkey-Neck Johnson is my name.  I'm 58 years old and live on the streets.  I lost my home when I came back from the war; couldn't afford to pay my rent, so they done kicked me to the curb.  Real nice of 'em, huh?

I can't work; disabled.  Walk on crutches; have bad knees and a bad back; hell, I'm always in pain.  No 'mount of pills I take can touch it.  Sometimes the pain gets so bad I wish I could take a gun and blow my ever-lovin' brains out.  Sometimes I'm desperate for relief ...

I get depressed.  Seems that nobody wants to deal with the likes of people like me.  I don't know why: I'm just a feller who happens to be down on his luck.  I met with a bad run and am payin' the price for my misfortune.

Before I went into the service, I had a pretty good life.  Was working as a dishwasher at a Golden Corral restaurant, then after I graduated from high school, I went into the Army.  I was in the Army for three years when I got injured in the war; then I was discharged and that's when my life went to hell.  

I could have tried to get VA disability, so I wouldn't be in this predicament, but I don't like messing with the system, so I didn't even bother to try.  Maybe it is my fault as well, but hell ... the government don't care about us ... maybe they do, but they sure have a funny way of showing it ... otherwise, there wouldn't be anything like homeless Veterans livin' on the streets, such as in my case ... too many times people get the runaround, or if they do try to get it, they have to wait a very long time!

My family and my friends all disowned me.  I ain't got nobody but the fellow bums who hang on the streets with me or the people I meet in shelters or church people who come to "minister" to us about Jesus and stuff, but hell, I don't need Jesus, or God, or nobody.  I just want people to help people like us who are struggling just to make something of themselves or just trying to survive.  That's all I want; is that too much to ask??

Well, I've done made myself cry again.  Damnit, I hate being like this, but when I don't see anything good coming out of my situation, then what am I supposed to believe??  

~Turkey-Neck.  :(

~To be continued.~