A Story of Love For the Destitute

A man stands on the corner
outside a towering high rise
Holding a crumpled cardboard sign
he looks at me and cries
He says,” Boy, spare some change?”
He says,” Boy, don’t be this way.”

Through quaking hands he shows me
a glimpse into a spectacular life
He stood with a wife and kid so blissful
In  a faded moment’s pose
He says,” Boy, she left me.”
He says,” Boy, she was my everything.”

The man on the corner
throws his arms around me
Through his unkempt hair
Permeates despair
He says,” What happened?”
He says,” Is this God’s plan?”

The man steps off of the corner
and into the city street
he falls to his knees
he calls out to me
“What does it all mean?”
and “Why did this have to be?”
Oh, he cries out to me
“I’m glad we had a chance to meet”
and “One day you’ll see”

and as the car horn shrieked
I think he mouthed to me through browning teeth
Having someone care is all we really need.