Street Saga

Street Saga

I wander aimlessly through life,
With not a thought nor care.
Nothing matters, there is no love;
No one with whom to share.

There's many out here in the street
Some favor drugs and strong drink;
Some are evading the law.
Some are quite dangerous, I think.

Some have mental problems;
They're headsick, we say,
Some like me just want to hide,
That's why I ran away.

Others give excuses
To pickpocket, beg or steal
But most just wanted to escape
From a life that became too real.

I am wretched, miserable and vile.
I've long since had a home.
I live pretty much from hand to mouth.
Most of the time I roam.

For twenty years I've been a ghost
A shadow slipping away in the streets.
I've dived in dumpsters, dug through trash,
In search of food to eat.

In summer the heat is welcomed
It warms these haggard bones
But the winter's wrath will kidnap
And claim you for its own.

Homeless shelters in many towns
Give me respite from the cold.
A filling hot meal and at night a cot,
But, this life is getting old.

Once upon a time, I worked;
I had a fancy job.
I had a lovely wife and kids.
When I think too much, I sob.

I drank back then—maybe too much.
Then, came the accident.
With family and job now gone,
It seemed my life was spent.

So, I disappeared into the streets.
I ran away from me.
I walked away from all that was
And all that would never be.

That was a long, long time ago,
I'm a lonely, broken man.
I drift from one place to the next
With no life, no love, no plan.

Like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle
I am lost from the whole;
A puzzle that will never be complete.
I am a weary soul.

My health isn't what it used to be
I know one day it will fail.
What will I do when that day comes,
And I can no longer ride the rail?

Perhaps it's time for me to stop
Before my life does end;
To seek elusive inner peace;
And maybe find a friend.

60 lines/366 words


Author's Note:Homelessness is a growing problem in America. Although legislation under the current administration has been passed regarding this problem, it has not lessened the number of people living in the streets. According to HUD's July 2008 3rd Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, in a single night in January 2007, single point analysis reported to HUD showed there were 671,888 sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons nationwide in the United States. Also, HUD reported the number of chronically homeless people (those with repeated episodes or who have been homeless for long periods, 2007 data) as 123,833. 82% of the homeless are not chronically homeless, and 18% are (6% Chronically Homeless Sheltered, 12% Chronically Homeless Unsheltered). Their Estimate of Sheltered Homeless Persons during a One-Year Period, October 2006 to September 2007, that about 1,589,000 persons used an emergency shelter and/or transitional housing during the 12-month period, which is about 1 in every 200 persons in the United States was in a homeless facility in that time period. Individuals accounted for 1,115,054 or 70.2% and families numbered 473,541 or 29.8%. The number of persons in sheltered households with Children was about 130,968.