I See You

I see you sleeping on a concrete bed, wrapped in days of newspaper blankets,

around empty cans, freezing wind felt deep in your bones as you try to stay warm in hopeless vain.

I see your tired sun beaten face, sitting on your old bucket on the daily by my corner asking for alms to feed your hunger. I see you holding that cardboard sign pleading to the world that any donation would be used for food and shelter and not vice and i know you are lying.

I see you screaming in a expletive laden rant directed at the ether, you walk in a fast-paced stride as if you are late for the most consequential meet of your life and as you go the oversize clothing covers the bony body the locust of time have eaten.

I see you through my car windshield and i feel pity and guilt as i drive away.

I see you hungry, lonely, afraid and I pretend you do not exist and i walk away.

I see you through my world view lens and think how a perfectly good human fall can so deep into despair and I judge you and walk away.

To really see you and acknowledge you is to say that I am too responsible for your lack and infirmity. I am responsible to help you and restore you back to our society, because i am a member of that society that proclaims protection to the weakest among us. And yet in the same breath disowns all creatures that are not perfect in our eyes. One day soon maybe sooner I may see you as I sit by you and  the  hungry loyal dog next to you, i will be thirsty asking and begging for a drop of your humanity.