Wonky Wheels

I’m driving my car

the roof is down

sun’s tanning my face

as I listen to a song 

from the jungle book.

Life feels good

Turning a corner

I notice a bag lady

pushing a shopping cart

well, more trying to get the 

wheels to mount the pavement

under the weight of 

all she has in the world

This town isn’t a place you see homeless people usually

apart from Chris, who we all quietly look after

he walks around and shouts to some imaginary adversary

or maybe to himself, sometimes I’ve heard him in our street

in the early hours of the morning

I guess its hard to sleep outside

in the depths of winter

maybe he shouts to keep himself warm

maybe he just wants to be heard

to let us know that he is here

he exists

She’s got her wheels on the sidewalk now

and stopped to sift through some bin bags

I wonder how it came to this

is this the life she chose 

or life chose for her?

They say we are all just 3 pay cheques away

from being on the street

from pushing a cart 

with wonky wheels

April Child

7 July 2015

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i have lived this way for 20 plus years...but less than three paychecks away from that wonky wheeled cart....i know this poem....every time i pass by the homeless in our town...i start practicing in my head how to panhandle.

your poems are definitely real life. and this one is especially interesting....we often have so much more than we need....hard to push that cart of life with all we have in it...yet if one cart has all we own...one small shopping cart, it is still a burden to push through life.

[April Child]

Yes so true, whatever we have we have to carry it through life with us. I don't know why we feel so compelled to accumulate stuff. Thanks for the review :)

[emmajoy]

Such real words, such empathy, ' ..maybe he just wants to be heard ~ to let us know that he is here
~ he exists ~ She’s got her wheels on the sidewalk now ~ and stopped to sift through some bin bags '

How many tragedies we pass as we go through day to day life.. and, how you highlight it so delicately but candidly, April.

Guess some of us accumulate because of fear. Others realise that it means nothing compared to sharing something, anything, with a special someone or more. Your Chris lives in so many places.. bless his dear heart. And hers.. an angel without wings, for now. x

[Iris]

This is so real. I like the way you can write so originally. The idea would never have occurred to me. Lovely piece. I especially like the Wonky Wheels part.