Freezing cold
Chicago hawk
Whipping around the buildings
Hear the wind howling
The financial district
Hosting Wall Street-like candidates
And the cold and hungry street life
Begging for change to get a drink of water
Maybe a sandwich and a cup of coffee
Constantly being ignored
An occasional clink in their cup
10 cent here
50 cent there
StreetWise vendors
Baring badges of legitimate work
Making their plea
"I just need a dollar to help me
buy my necessities"
"Buy a newspaper to help the needy"
The one with the money
Too greedy
to even give a penny
Children shivering with their mothers
Balled up in a corner
Trying to shield their little
bodies from the hawk
Doorways hosting cold hungry brothers
No gloves, a spring jacket
Pissy clothes
Shoes barely covering their toes
He just want some heat
Well, I'm sorry - I don't carry
that around with me
Okay, well, maybe some spare change
Well, sorry - if I could spare it
I'd spend it too
Okay, well, God bless you anyway
they say
So selfish, can't even spare a dime
won't even take the time
To reach for that needless dollar
To make the homeless holler
back at you to say "thanks"
And God bless your soul
That spared dollar is like gold
Have no idea about the street life struggle
The street life hussle
Trying to make a dollar
out of 15 cents
Cautious of how it's spent
May not see another dollar
for the next meal
May be forced to dig
in the nearest garbage
May be forced to steal
A loaf of french bread
to give his stomach pleasure
Cause the people don't realize
That one dollar
would be his treasure
Reason for writing:
I walk past the homeless everyday going to and from work. Downtown Chicago is one of the coldest places to be in the wintertime - The wind is merciless!!! I gave one homeless man a dollar and he practically kissed my feet. To me, the dollar was nothing but to this man, it was EVERYTHING. He caught me off guard with his gratitude - I almost cried.
Birth sign: Cancer
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