melissaahowells
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the neighbors
are blogging on the local rag about the menace of the homeless they're convinced the homeless are faceless entities to be moved about like chess pieces and not flesh and blood people with real life problems outside I hear the wailing of wind the wind is a banshee tonight the cold is her twin, the reaper the brisk wind chill favors no one but bites all who live here alike but bites those who have no homes even more the poorest of the poor the ones we'd rather ignore how we turn our backs on them and look the other way who do we see when we look at them? its a question which makes me wonder... these people we call dangerous ragers mentally ill boozers drug abusers garbage users and polluters who anger and confuse us we label, call them even lesser names eyesores rabble hobos outcasts of society they are no longer people we would rather push them on and shove them out through the revolving door last night the wind complained loud and bitterly and another homeless man succumbed to the frozen jaws of the wind's angry bite this morning they found him tucked up against the bricks he had used them as a pillow no one had let him in of course he was a man who was never likely to win the key to the city he was homeless, right? but what if SOMEONE had offered him some blankets? and something warm to eat and drink? or the shelter of THEIR garage? or if another church had decided to open ITS doors? well, its too late for him, now and dear bloggers, so, I ask you, how have you been good neighbors lately? (oh, I see, you answer me with your silence) But, perhaps the homeless man has won the key now to heaven? Yes, ALL are welcome there. November 19, 2014 Copyright All Rights Reserved By This Author Think about the definition of neighbor and what that means. I don't think it just means those who live right next door to you. And really how many people actually now the first and last names of the people who live next to them any more? I did when I was growing up. The world has changed. Or has it? From what I read on the blog, I was truly amazed about what I read about the homeless (the were described as a nuisance/pestilence/sub-species) and the word person did not once enter into the discussion. As someone who has done a little bit of volunteer work and has been there, and basically as a member of the human race, I found it a bit unsettling. I will continue to be who I am. I can't change others. But I can write about it. This issue is even more of a hot button, as around the country, people are being arrested for feeding the homeless. It happened in Fort Lauderdale. It happened with a group of priests and elderly concerned Catholics on the East Coast...they were arrested and jailed for feeding the homeless. California has the 8Th largest population of all the states in the US and the highest number of homeless families... lots of homeless people are being shipped back from Hawaii on one-way tickets to the west coast by authorities in Hawaii. Also the US has the highest number of homeless children living within its borders. One of my very best friends is homeless right now. I worry about her safety constantly. Be grateful for what you have and who you are. You never know what life is going to throw at you. Being grateful for at least three things every day can make you resilient for the difficult times that you may and will face in the years ahead. I have known the hopelessness of homelessness in the past. Now I have a home. I'm grateful. Enough said. Meloo/Melissa A Howells Tilt-a-World/ All Rights Are Reserved By This Author All Poetry/Prose/Rants/Ideas are the legal property of this Writer thank you for taking the time to read this. Vote for this poem |
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