Jane

I am featuring this because of the severe winter weather happening in most of the USA I thought about this last night when the temperature dropped to 12 degrees~ 'She forgot who she was"..

 

 

 

She walks the streets
no shoes adorn her feet
bare
bruised
rough, calloused

She finds solace in an
old suitcase
it holds all her belongings
she treasures them

A book of poetry
a purple silk scarf
a comb with most of it's teeth missing
like it forgot to visit the dentist
and
a picture
little girl
blonde
blue eyes with
a smile that lights the darkest rooms

She knows of dark rooms
she lives in darkness
she had a flat but her job
well, her job let her go
so the man said, "Get Out"
she tried to get another job
"we're not hiring", they always said

After a time , a long time
she forgot her name
now,
well, now
she roams the dirty boulevard
and wonders who she is
and how she got here
she wonders who the little girl is
who's smile lights the darkness in which she lives

People sneer at her
laugh, point , stare
a woman with faded blue eyes
dirty blond hair
in Salvation Army rags
they laugh
they make her feel
'uncomfortable'
they call her
the bag lady
among other names

Sometimes she cries
though she is used to it
her stomach gnaws with hunger pains
as she searches the trash and dumpsters
for a crumb
just a crumb
one crumb

The man at the bakery watches her
his heart is not hard
he calls her
she doesn't hear him
because
she doesn't want to

She knows what he wants
laughing
sneering
pointing
she walks past

Some nights she sees Angels
they call her name
"Jane"
"Jane"
"Hello Jane,
do you know
someday you will inherit
this Earth"?

Someday isn't soon enough for
sweet Jane
someday needs to be today

"Jane, don't cry",
they say
"someday"
"someday"
"someday"

"Please", she whispers
"help me find my way home"
"please", she cries
"let me be visible again"

She feels so alone
she is alone
but when she looks at the faded photograph
her heart feels lighter
the world
brighter

She coughs a lot
her house leaks
her nose runs
her stomach aches with hunger pangs

The Angels visit her every day now
"Jane, someday is now"
"Are you going to show me the way home"?

"Follow the light Jane"
She feels warm for the first time
in so long
the feeling is surreal
the light radiates throughout her
filling her,satiating the hunger
cold, loneliness

In the distance
beneath a tree of
fragrant blossoms
by a stream as clear as crystaline crystal
sets the little girl
"Mommy", she cries
"You finally came home"




 

Author's Note

I am glad I wrote this one on wordpad.. people need to be aware of this ... and not all homeless are drug addicts or alcoholics.. most are people like you and me .. it is said most Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless.. it could happen to any of us!

Reviews

[Lionel Braud]

this poem has a lot going, it is a narrative poem full of heeartache and hope, and has a harsh sense of realism, contemporary urban realism, lot of rhymes and off rhymes, slant rhymes, good use of dialogue, not many use dialogue, robert frost did, this incorporates lots of poetic styles.

[L0[v]ELY]

that was absolutely beautiful and so heart breaking.
i loved it and i never knew that stat...we learn something new everyday and sometimes its not always good.
thank you for sharing this.

[Blackbirdsong]

Chloe this is a good accompanying piece to the other story you wrote about homelessness. I think everything has been pointed that needed to be. I would just say to polish it up a bit and see if there are any things which could be removed for clarity or expanded upon to add more depth.

I don't know if you really need the part at the bottom. It doesn't really add anything to what you've written. Perhaps make that a separate piece and then you'd have three. lol

Then again what do I know? Good read nonetheless.

take care :)

[[untitled]]

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for inserting that message at the end of your poem...I was homeless at one point and everything that you said is true, I wasn't a lazy, drunk, addict. I was a sixteen year old girl. More people need to hear the truth about what being homeless really means for some many people...Keep writing, people listen to your words

[Jakuper]

"Sometimes she cries
though she is used to it
her stomach gnaws with hunger pains
as she searches the trash and dumpsters
for a crumb
just a crumb
one crumb "


...There, but for the garce of God, could be you or I. This very touching piece evokes all kinds of emotions in me. Makes me want to help somebody...quick!

[Robert Luna]

Chores of the Heart(I am Sam)A Poem by Robert Luna

Okay so now you have got my attention with this piece and the statement you add at the end about which candidate is addressing this issue. Let me start by saying none of them because that is not the hot topic to gain votes. So it will not be addressed by any of them. Once again that is why I say I need to run for office. Under a new and better party called Humanitarian Party. My ideas to improve the world differ from the current parties and I don't feel they would embrace the changes I would wish to make. Oh someday the blind fools will see.

This is an amazing writing and I am proud to call you a friend.

[Gary H]

This is brilliant Chloe. Overwhelmed. Such an accurate picture and this is said from a UK resident... almost exactly the same circumstances happen over here. Was there a hint of Lou Reed with the 'Sweet Jane' mention?
You should send this to ABCtales.com. They support a UK organisation called Street Lights for those people that find themselves living on the streets. Certainly this deserves far bigger coverage.
Really enjoyed this, thanks Chloe.

[Lionel Braud]

"Jane Says, are you done sergio, you treat me like a ragdoll/she takes a swing and she cant hit."

Jane's Addiction

[Randall]

Wonderful Visuals and descriptions. You protrayed her pain effortlessly and it came across beautifuly. This is such a powerful piece that more should read. You captured the problem of Homelessness rather well.

[Tessa Le Rouge]

A poem with a message that is hardly ever heard. Good job. The pain she felt, is the pain i felt as i read it. Great descriptions...the statistics at the end only made this better!

keep up the good work sweetie!

~PwK~

[Alex]

Brilliantly beautiful and true .I could feel the pain and the redemption, wonderful piece.