THE SILHOUETTE OF LIFE

I walked past last night

Hurried & swept away

Scarf stuffed neck

Headphone rattled drums

It was her eyes that caught

My attention

She awake

Sitting upright, wheelchair

Blanket in lap

Covered & wrapped

Happily watching night

Life saunter by

The silhouette of a life

Once had her eyes

Today again I saw

On the way to work sittng

Up right wheelchair

Again wrapped fleece

Somehow still peace

With the way the sun

Had decided to set

Upon the hills

I always wonder what that

Last day was like

When you spend your first

Night alone

In the streets

That last week

Lost the last

Material possession

& the they city becomes

Your home

Wheelchair

& blankets

Purse wrapped tightly around neck

She said she’s scared to sleep

Cause she has medicine

On her

& there are drug addicts

Out here & she don’t

Want to get robbed

Still slobbled in rings & bracelets

Gold goblets of jewelery

Jesus this woman looks like

My aunt on the corner

How the hell did you get here

I ask her tonight the third times

A charm, I can’t just keep walking

Un alarmed

Is there something I can do

Just a cup of coffee all she asks

She loves coffee

Till seven am breakfast comes

And on Monday a bus ride

To her debit card

Home hospice maybe more

What’s a week or two the streets

She says

Then mentions she’s been out since

Thanksgiving of last year

Not even a tear

Just crystal blue eyes

Through looking glasses

Black pleather purse purched

Perfectly in lap

I hurry back home

To make a cup of hot coffee

With sugar & cream I ask as

I’m still at work

We breathe

What a world we live in

Today, somewhere I wish I had the balls

To say, come home

You can sleep in the living room

For the weekend

But I don’t, I just

Go back home where it’s warm

And prepare a cup of coffee

For the woman on the

Corner, waiting on Friday night

Till Monday comes to take a bus

To a place where she probably

Won’t find, until another time

She says her name is Cindy