John's poems of...LIFE - LIVING &LOVE...JDJ
1,772,803 poems read
An ---OLDER--MAN------VERY--VERY--VERY------SICKLY----and----CONSTANTLY--CONSTANTLY--CONSTANTLY------2---COUGHING----and----COUGHING---and---COUGHING-----SAT--RIGHT--BESIDES--ME----and----NEXT-- to --ME, --on --the --BUS
HE--was the last person,-- ON--and the driver told --HIM--TO--HURRY-- and find a SEAT,-- so-I-HE---SAT--BY--ME--as--HE--couldnt--perfectly--see-----and--was --in --a --RUSH
At --first --Me--, HE--walked-- right-- BY
Then -HE--came -back-in- the -middle -where--I---was,- and -sat--down--with--RELiEF--EXHAUSTION---and---a------BAD--BAD--BAD------PERSISTENT----CHRONIC----COUGH---- with----SIGH
HE--was -alone, -and -last -night- HE--said -----so--so--so--COLD---- as -HE-slept -out-on -the --Los -Angeles----dangerous---CITY----STREET
HE--told ---ME----HE--was-- robbed --from --all --of--HIS--money-- of----eight-hundred--dollars---right--from-- under--his--- FEET
HE-----SEEMED ---ORIENTED ---ALERT----and------VERY--VERY--VERY-----BRIGHT--INTELLIGENT---KNOWLEDGABLE----- and------VERY--VERY--VERY---SMART----WITTY--and--FUNNY--and----SHARP
But -----something ----was ----missing, ----but---- i ---wasnt-----exactly-- --SURE---JUST----WHAT-----PART
And --------CONSTANT--CONSTANT--CONSTANT--------APOLOGIES-------to --ME--HE--------OVER--and--OVER--and--OVER-------MADE
For--HE--was -------very---very --very------SICKLY--COUGHING--and----ILL
HE--stated --to --ME----had --HE--of --known --that--HE--- would --of --LIVED--this --long,--HE-- would --have --taken -------BETTER--CARE--of --HIMSELF-------when --HE--was --much--younger, --STILL
HE---said -HE-really- didnt ---------BELIEVE ----in ----FAITH----a ---GOD, --or --NOTHING-------like --THAT
And ---i---told--- HIM,--- that---NOTHING--- just ---HAPPENS,--- to ----US---in ---our ---life,--- living, ---and ---love,--- COINCIDENTLY,---just---like--- THIS---and ---by---CHANCE---a ---matter ---of----FACT
So -i -really----really----REALLY--was--------so--so--so-------over-tired---and-------TOTALLY---EXHAUSTED---and -on -the -last -HOUR- of -my -NINE---hour --long---journey --bus----RIDE
But --this --older-- gentleman--, I--did --MY----------very--very--very--------BEST--of--MY--BEST-------to-- MENTOR--,and-- take-- care --OF-- HIM---------------SICKLY--SICKLY--SICKLY--------- sitting,-- coughing, --and --coughing --uncontrollably--on--the--GREYHOUND---BUS---by----my----SIDE
Two --of --my --expensive, --high--25-grams----of--protein,-drinks--, to --HIM--i --GAVE
HE---said, --HE---hadnt--- eaten--,anything---for-- over ---TWO--DAYS--, and --his --life --i--HAD----SAVED
He --talked --alot --and --seemed --very--sharp--educated--successful--as--he--said--for--fifty--years--working--in--the--auto--parts--industry--of--german--cars--and--was--from--San-FRAN--he--loved--baseball--and--spoke--of--old--musicians--janice--joplin--the--grateful--dead--band--and--people--he--associated--and--saw--weekly--and--As--friends--knew--HE----SEEMED----very----HONEST--SINCERE--GENUINE--and--TRUE
And -im -not -so -absolute- how -much- of -his -story -was --AUTHENTIC-- and-- TRUE-- as --HE--did --state --to --ME-- today --so --far --he --is --okay--, but --he --STRUGGLES-- with --his --health --issues --and---- his--- ALCOHOL-- USE--and --ABUSE-- --TOO
This- older -gentleman, -he -told -me -that- he -was- now----SIXTY--FIVE
But -what -stuck -with, -me -the -most- was - when- he -said,--NOW-- he may --HAVE----twenty -years-- more,-- left --to--SURVIVE---- being----ILL----and-- SICK--and--ALIVE
He -said -again
If -i -knew -that -i -would, -of -lived,-to -be -this -old--i would--of--taken--much--better--care--of--MYSELF--THEN
So -when -i gave -him -one, -protein-- shake--then--another--protein--SHAKE An -instant -improvement-, in -his -health -it -seemed -to -impact-, and --MAKE--him--feel--better---and---GREAT
So -i -TRIED -to -INSTILL- in --HIM
A --POSITIVE---FAITHFUL--and --GRATEFUL,---WILL
To -START -a -FRESH--HEALTHY--and--a--NEW
I -could- see-,for -years-, and -years,-that -HE- was- very -firmly,-firmly-,confidently---set -in -HIS--OWN--UN-FAITHFUL--WORLDLY----ways --you--SEE
And --my --sincere--WISH--HOPE--, and --PRAYER--, was --that--this--very--ill--and--sickly-- older ----VERY--INTElLIGENT--SHARP--GOOD--man, --today, --some --how, --some --way, --from --the --chains --of --addiction,--and--restriction--just--as--a--life--sentence--and--conviction--with--restriction--and-- with --HIM--ALCOHOLISM--he --could --be--set--healthily--happily--FREE
When ---the ---BUS---stopped--- in ---San-Diego
Just---- like, ----that ----HE---- QUICKLY----got ---up,----and ----OFF ----into-- ---the-- ----city----streets,-----HE----DID-----DISAPEAR---- and ----ON----HIS---OWN---GO
A ---person---, who ---may--- seem,---so---PERFECT---so ---well, ---put ---together, ---so---PERFECTLY---PRECISELY---EXACTLY----successful----,flashy,---sharp--and----GREAT -----and -----ELITE----------------------or, --as --this --SIMPLE-----HUMBLE----and----STRUGGLING--old--man-------very---very--very-------WISE--SHARP--INTELLIGENT---BRIGHT------older --homeless--MAN--from--the--city--STREET
By john d Jungers
01--APRIL--2017
HE--was the last person,-- ON--and the driver told --HIM--TO--HURRY-- and find a SEAT,-- so-I-HE---SAT--BY--ME--as--HE--couldnt--perfectly--see-----and--was --in --a --RUSH
At --first --Me--, HE--walked-- right-- BY
Then -HE--came -back-in- the -middle -where--I---was,- and -sat--down--with--RELiEF--EXHAUSTION---and---a------BAD--BAD--BAD------PERSISTENT----CHRONIC----COUGH---- with----SIGH
HE--was -alone, -and -last -night- HE--said -----so--so--so--COLD---- as -HE-slept -out-on -the --Los -Angeles----dangerous---CITY----STREET
HE--told ---ME----HE--was-- robbed --from --all --of--HIS--money-- of----eight-hundred--dollars---right--from-- under--his--- FEET
HE-----SEEMED ---ORIENTED ---ALERT----and------VERY--VERY--VERY-----BRIGHT--INTELLIGENT---KNOWLEDGABLE----- and------VERY--VERY--VERY---SMART----WITTY--and--FUNNY--and----SHARP
But -----something ----was ----missing, ----but---- i ---wasnt-----exactly-- --SURE---JUST----WHAT-----PART
And --------CONSTANT--CONSTANT--CONSTANT--------APOLOGIES-------to --ME--HE--------OVER--and--OVER--and--OVER-------MADE
For--HE--was -------very---very --very------SICKLY--COUGHING--and----ILL
HE--stated --to --ME----had --HE--of --known --that--HE--- would --of --LIVED--this --long,--HE-- would --have --taken -------BETTER--CARE--of --HIMSELF-------when --HE--was --much--younger, --STILL
HE---said -HE-really- didnt ---------BELIEVE ----in ----FAITH----a ---GOD, --or --NOTHING-------like --THAT
And ---i---told--- HIM,--- that---NOTHING--- just ---HAPPENS,--- to ----US---in ---our ---life,--- living, ---and ---love,--- COINCIDENTLY,---just---like--- THIS---and ---by---CHANCE---a ---matter ---of----FACT
So -i -really----really----REALLY--was--------so--so--so-------over-tired---and-------TOTALLY---EXHAUSTED---and -on -the -last -HOUR- of -my -NINE---hour --long---journey --bus----RIDE
But --this --older-- gentleman--, I--did --MY----------very--very--very--------BEST--of--MY--BEST-------to-- MENTOR--,and-- take-- care --OF-- HIM---------------SICKLY--SICKLY--SICKLY--------- sitting,-- coughing, --and --coughing --uncontrollably--on--the--GREYHOUND---BUS---by----my----SIDE
Two --of --my --expensive, --high--25-grams----of--protein,-drinks--, to --HIM--i --GAVE
HE---said, --HE---hadnt--- eaten--,anything---for-- over ---TWO--DAYS--, and --his --life --i--HAD----SAVED
He --talked --alot --and --seemed --very--sharp--educated--successful--as--he--said--for--fifty--years--working--in--the--auto--parts--industry--of--german--cars--and--was--from--San-FRAN--he--loved--baseball--and--spoke--of--old--musicians--janice--joplin--the--grateful--dead--band--and--people--he--associated--and--saw--weekly--and--As--friends--knew--HE----SEEMED----very----HONEST--SINCERE--GENUINE--and--TRUE
And -im -not -so -absolute- how -much- of -his -story -was --AUTHENTIC-- and-- TRUE-- as --HE--did --state --to --ME-- today --so --far --he --is --okay--, but --he --STRUGGLES-- with --his --health --issues --and---- his--- ALCOHOL-- USE--and --ABUSE-- --TOO
This- older -gentleman, -he -told -me -that- he -was- now----SIXTY--FIVE
But -what -stuck -with, -me -the -most- was - when- he -said,--NOW-- he may --HAVE----twenty -years-- more,-- left --to--SURVIVE---- being----ILL----and-- SICK--and--ALIVE
He -said -again
If -i -knew -that -i -would, -of -lived,-to -be -this -old--i would--of--taken--much--better--care--of--MYSELF--THEN
So -when -i gave -him -one, -protein-- shake--then--another--protein--SHAKE An -instant -improvement-, in -his -health -it -seemed -to -impact-, and --MAKE--him--feel--better---and---GREAT
So -i -TRIED -to -INSTILL- in --HIM
A --POSITIVE---FAITHFUL--and --GRATEFUL,---WILL
To -START -a -FRESH--HEALTHY--and--a--NEW
I -could- see-,for -years-, and -years,-that -HE- was- very -firmly,-firmly-,confidently---set -in -HIS--OWN--UN-FAITHFUL--WORLDLY----ways --you--SEE
And --my --sincere--WISH--HOPE--, and --PRAYER--, was --that--this--very--ill--and--sickly-- older ----VERY--INTElLIGENT--SHARP--GOOD--man, --today, --some --how, --some --way, --from --the --chains --of --addiction,--and--restriction--just--as--a--life--sentence--and--conviction--with--restriction--and-- with --HIM--ALCOHOLISM--he --could --be--set--healthily--happily--FREE
When ---the ---BUS---stopped--- in ---San-Diego
Just---- like, ----that ----HE---- QUICKLY----got ---up,----and ----OFF ----into-- ---the-- ----city----streets,-----HE----DID-----DISAPEAR---- and ----ON----HIS---OWN---GO
A ---person---, who ---may--- seem,---so---PERFECT---so ---well, ---put ---together, ---so---PERFECTLY---PRECISELY---EXACTLY----successful----,flashy,---sharp--and----GREAT -----and -----ELITE----------------------or, --as --this --SIMPLE-----HUMBLE----and----STRUGGLING--old--man-------very---very--very-------WISE--SHARP--INTELLIGENT---BRIGHT------older --homeless--MAN--from--the--city--STREET
By john d Jungers
01--APRIL--2017
Comment On This Poem --- Vote for this poem
An --OLDER--MAN-- --SICKLY--and--COUGHING--sat next to me on the BUS
An --OLDER--MAN-- --SICKLY--and--COUGHING--sat next to me on the BUS