Lament

Riding in the car

The Nutcracker singing sweetly in my ears

creating a few moments of

calmness and serenity

in my otherwise chaotic life of late

Rounding a familiar corner

one I know well, see often

where the homeless sit,

create community, seek

shelter from the brutal

Florida sun that beats

incessantly at their backs

When

With no preparation, no warning

my fragile peace was shattered

the driver says to me

     another homeless man was beaten

     to death here, yesterday

Now the Nutcracker fled

from my ears, every cell it seemed

that inhabits my body

     screamed

keened in mourning

for this unknown

     Who will remember him? I want to know!

     Who will mark his passing, grieve for him,

     hold him close and dear in their hearts?

     Guide him with love and prayer?

This man, that no one knew

This man, whose name, given from his mother's lips

now forgotten

This man, who touched lives

and had children

and cried and mourned

and lived and sang in joy

and beat his chest with primal rage

and drowned his sorrows in a bottle

     Who will remember him!

I will,

I will cry for him.

I will pray for him.

He will exist in my heart

breathing steady with the beat I offer

I will love him

I will give him a home

in my soul 

 

Reviews

[Poeticpiers]

A most poignant and moving write expressing your views and displayin a caring nature
Presented in well written poetic prose It touched a chord with me Every homeless person has a story but few are prepared to listen Too easy to write them off as noaccount bums

[Drow]

To start off, this really moved me. I have similar thoughts on roadkill, probably less poetic, but still along the same lines.
It's odd how we concern ourselves with what's around us but when somethings happens that's close to us, yet so far away, we feel guilty for not noticing.