A Man Stands

I saw a homeless person

A man stands
Surrounded by no one.
Head bent over flames
Of a small fire
Burning the remains of surrounding derelict houses
Immersed in thought,
Unmoving...................
Yet moving, representing existence,
In a world where is is alone,
Striving for survival in society,
Materially and emotionally.
There is nothing he understands
So society moulds him and pulls him along,
There he is not alone.
But for one single moment,
I saw him standing alone by the fire,
I felt the tiredness in despair in his thoughts
Stabbing me like a knife,
I could have died for him,
A bit of me did.


Chrissie Nash
Nov 79