The World We Live In A Poetry Book On Societal Issues Part 2

Michael

I’ve somehow managed to survive the winter of hell,

The cold blistering nights with snow blowing in my face.

The weather has improved but my situation hasn’t,

Summer is approaching and I know it’s going to get hot.

My friend’s business had to be shut down because the rent went up,

He wasn’t making enough money to pay the rent increase.

That’s the greed that happens with building owners,

So I’m at a loss for getting food and daily needs everyday.

I’m back to being on my own and it’s going to be hard,

I know I’m going to get out of this and I still have hope.

With the summer months fast approaching, my clothes stick to me,

I sweat all of the time and my deodorant usage has increased.

My store owner friend is working to get me to live with him,

I don’t bank on that situation working even though it would be great.

The sweltering heat is hurting my poor skin today,

I don’t remember the last time I was able to lotion my body.

Soap and deodorant are priorities for me these days,

Lotion is not much of a necessity along with shampoo.

Soap washes my hair and I figure out how to get haircuts,

Sometimes barbers give us free haircuts on the weekend if they can find me.

I’m a nomad in these streets these days, panhandling in different areas,

I don’t want to be the homeless man in the same area all of the time.

Some days I look homeless with my scruffy beard and long hair,

That’s when people feel more sympathetic for me and give me money.

As soon as I get a haircut, I have to keep it moving to another area of the city,

But I don’t make as much money those days as I look more clean cut.

That’s the societal stigmas that people paint in their minds of a homeless man,

That’s perpetuated and insinuated in whatever media people watch these days.

That whole perception is not reality and I wish people would break out of that,

We can be clean cut and struggling to make it in life you know.

Days like this, I reflect on having an air conditioner in my living room,

Being able to lay on my comfortable couch instead of this hard concrete. 

Yeah I’m back to talking about the little things people take for granted,

I’d take a fan in front of me right now instead of hiding in shade areas during the day.

At this point, I’ve figured out how the sun moves throughout the day,

Which gives me an idea of where to go to be away from the hot sun rays.

I reflect on the air conditioner hitting my body and cooling me off,

As my beautiful wife gives me a dinner plate full of great food.

But, enough about my once good life that I had,

Thinking and reflecting too long, gets me emotional.