Love the city
Nobody knows me here
Traffic thrums
Footsteps drum
On the sidewalk below
I walk the street
And I tap my feet
In a dance
Without a glance
From other passers by
They're in a rush
To avoid the crush
Get to work
Which I avoid
I live without a care
I lie of course
I sit here alone
By the wall
With a wooden bowl
For cash to drop right in
There's a sign
I've scrawled some words
"Lost my job
My house and home
Please help me start again"
I like this place
It is no disgrace
In this town
To show the world
There's room for everyone
Image found at https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-41536766
Sadly, Robin, your protagonist is viewed by many, as someone to avoid. A figure of shame, which people justify their cruelty to others, as a helping hand.
ReplyDelete"There's room for everyone", indeed. And when we reach out, give each other a hand... that room can turn into a great place for all.
ReplyDeleteYes, there is room for everyone.
ReplyDeleteA slice of the city, so heartbreaking & so perfectly captivated.
ReplyDeleteThere is room for everyone Robin, but sadly some of us, most of us(?) turn our backs on those who have lost everything.
ReplyDeleteIf only we could all open our hearts...
Anna :o]
"And I tap my feet
ReplyDeleteIn a dance
Without a glance
From other passers by"
VERY NICE--AND THEN THE LIE! But I suspect he is a Walt Whitman, identifying with each one: The happy and the scornful, the sad and the scorned.
I love that "room for everyone." Most people are closer than they think - a paycheque or two - to falling on hard times.
ReplyDeleteThe anonymity the city provides is a welcome relief for many.
ReplyDeleteI like the rhythm in your poem, Robin, especially in:
ReplyDelete'Traffic thrums
Footsteps drum
On the sidewalk below'
and
'They're in a rush
To avoid the crush'.
I'd like to think that there's room for everyone.
Love the flow and rhyme of the city you have here Robin, and the thoughts at the closing are poignant and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteA voice from the shadows! We never see him- or we pretend not to... but you gave him the power of speech!. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteTo show the world
ReplyDeleteThere's room for everyone
Freedom to move is a luxurious privilege!
Hank
As usual Robin you have given us food for thought with this piece.
ReplyDeleteAnd planting a seed is sometimes all it takes.
Peggy xx
Yes it does have that kind of melting pot appeal. Once the humanity remains to drop a penny in the old mands begging bowl, hope too abides
ReplyDeleteHappy you dropped by my blog Robin
Much🎀love
And that's an important message Robin.. we have to find room and empathy for everyone.. but we are increasingly becoming narrow societies.
ReplyDeleteA nice reminder of "there but for the grace of God …" Well written, Robin.
ReplyDeleteand therein lies the truth - for anyone can end up anywhere, elsewhere, where they never expected, in the blink of an eye; and we can never know someone's story, in the rush and crush of city life - and we can remake ourselves, remain hidden in plain site, or disappear;
ReplyDeleteI like how you've kept this simple, to great effect.