Poor Man On Main

The air outside is freezing cold and I await the walking signal on the corner of the desolate downtown street. A car or so passes by until a tall, dark man walks up to me, And in his muffled voice, Breath visible in the winter's air, He says: "Please sir... please, can you spare something for me and my family?" "I have a baby who needs formula and a wife without a jacket in this cold season" "Um... I'm not sure what I have... will some money do?" "Yes, yes, anything please." And so I did take out my money and handed him 5 dollars. "Oh please, can you spare 10 more?  Formula cost 18.75" "No, I am sorry, I cannot give you 10 more, But I will give you 5." And so I handed him the 5 dollars and he looked at me with soft innocent eyes. "I am sorry, That is all I can give you." And so I walked away, And I felt bad that I didn't give him more, But I couldn't.... Or.... I didn't want to. In my greed he may have starved, And in my greed his baby might have starved, And in my greed his family could have starved, But I still walked away. Later that night I returned to the spot I saw him and he was surely there, Cigarette in his hand, Another box in his pocket. I walked away from him that day uneasy and unsure, Uncomfortable with everything that passed me, And right now I still can't help but wondering if every person who ever begged on the street ended up like that, And what if he did have a baby? He would still starve, Because he just had to have his cigarette. I realized then, We are all the same in greed and in fortune, Some just use it more wisely, And some have less to spend, But it is the same all in all... Just human infatuation, And rich or poor, Dying or well alive, We will all die because one of us screwed up, And that is the way it is.... The world will always be crowded, Except for a few desolate streets with poor people begging for drug money. That's the way it is.partially true... Written December 25th, 2001 © on Dec 25 2001 12:41 PM PST   0 • 9