You walk by
never looking at me
because you know
for the grace of God
goes you.
You are ashamed
because I am dirty,
dressed in rags,
and unshaven.
You think
that I am on drugs,
that I can't hold down a job
that I need to move on.
You never realize
that I too
feel.
That I know things
that you never will.
I know what it is to be hungry.
The gnawing deep down inside
that never really goes away.
You will never know
what it is like to dig into trashcans
from restraunts
looking for food
they have just thrown away.
Hoping
just this one time
that I can find something eatable.
You will never know
what it is like
to be truly cold.
To have the wintery breeze
go right through the card board box walls
that I call home.
You will never know
what it is like to be alone
in the dark of night
with no protection.
You will never know fear.
The fear of death
for it is all around me.
Author notes
hope you like this
In a list
A contest entry
- look deep. by Ryno.
600 points, ended November 12, 2008, 15 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - CELEBRATING POETRY AND POETS- ONE-DAY competition, "PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN" WORK ONLY by Vera Rich.
6000 points, ended November 26, 2008, 127 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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Sorry - you seem to have misunderstood the requirements of my competition - it was for poems about Poetry and/or poets. And although there are undoubtedly some poets among the homeless - one can read some very powerful poetry bythem in "The Big Issue", your entry does not seem specific to them.
I wish you luck with this poem, elsewhere - but as far as the "Celebrating poetry and poets" competition is concerned, I do have to say "No".
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Your compassion and true heart glow throughout this write. If only more would care as much.
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WOW... That was down to the point.. And so true.
And "But for the Grave of GOD go I " is very true.
Many are guug burnouts, but some were everyday working people that went broke and had no one to turn to and lost everything. A sad but true poem. Well done.
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I liked the issue you touched on here, well, not so much "touched" but "went full throttle into."
I feel like too many people are like both mentioned above (not just homeless, but also, ignorant to the homeless). It bugs me when someone says they would not help them out because "they are just going to spend the money on drugs or alcohol" or "it is their own fault they are poor."
Nothing bugs me more, besides a couple things.
The raw emotion is spot on in this piece and really rings in the warmth of your heart here. My only suggestion would be that it lacked stronger and more creative imagery. You could bring your images in this piece and word them in a way that really applies to the reader's sense and builds the poem in their imagination. Instead of just "telling" the reader, you know?
Felt this was a heart-warming, indepth look. Thanks for the entry! -
You have truly looked deep with this poem, one can almost feel the cold and despair that seeps through each line, you have woven a masterpiece here that deserves a gold, blessings John
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Excellent
I think too many of us fall into this category. We tend to stereotype homeless people and we forget that they have a backstory and that they are people too.
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