I see a homeless person
Dressed in rags.
I see everyone walking by
And looking the other way.
I see people spending money
On things they don’t need.
I see the filthy looks
and the muttering.
They say:
Dirty Beggar
Alcoholic
They say:
You don’t matter
Because you’re not like me.
I see someone who once lived in a house
And was proud of that house.
I see them travelling to work
Each day
On a packed commuter train.
I see their hopes and dreams,
Their fanciful schemes.
I see them holding a child
Minutes after it was born.
I see a great mass of people
In motion.
And that person standing still
Frozen like a statue,
Hand outstretched.
I see green fields and the sea-side
Children building sandcastles
And others splashing in the waves.
I see
A handshake
A smile
And a pat on the back
I see a hospital bed,
And tubes going into an arm
There’s a beep every second or so
That says , this person is alive.
I see skin as thin as parchment
And a choir singing Christmas carols
To a hospital ward full of people.
I see someone who is too sick to work
Who can’t pay the bills.
I see a family argument and
Brimming suitcases.
I see the hostel
Where people shout at night.
The small room
With a wardrobe and sink.
I see sadness and tears
And hope slipping away.
I see me,
Who do you see ?
