well-couched and well-protected

well-couched and well-protected

A Poem by Philip Gaber

Always the onlooker, always outside,
borrowing laughs and sudden gestures,
the droop of sadness.
People were his food, and he ate them up hungrily.
His appetites were significant, but he was never quite complete.
Neither was his suitcase.
He thought sleep was a waste of time, and if he slept
he might miss something.
He prowled through the nights like a hunter.
He’d borrow papers,
see what was playing on Forty-second Street and
he’d go to three features to stretch out the night.
Sometimes, he’d register at a small hotel that was
left behind when glamour moved out of town,
but he found a second home, Jerry’s Bar,
where he was always welcome.
His mind went away and hid somewhere.
Pounded the pavement looking for work and
he wrote letters home.
Why do I do these things, he wondered.
And he really didn’t know.
Shy and sensitive about people getting too close too him.

© 2024 Philip Gaber


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loneliness is so awful....and for some, the busier they try to stay, the lonelier they become.
They feel the need to matter and just don't seem to get there, in their own minds and hearts.
j.

Posted 4 Months Ago



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Added on July 6, 2024
Last Updated on July 6, 2024

Author

Philip Gaber
Philip Gaber

Charlotte, NC



About
I hate writing biographies. I was one of those kids who rode a banana seat bike and watched Saturday morning cartoons and Soul Train. But my mother would never buy any of those sugary cereals for us k.. more..

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