Poetry | Life Lessons

Homeless in the Danger Zone

Photo by Leroy Skalstad on Unsplash

Walking in remembrance
of a quiet place to rest
He shuffles through his pockets
looking for a light

It’s about the timing
and the finding
of a separate place to sleep
where ‘all will be well’.
It’s a mantra on repeat.

A little match boy
trying to survive the night
he presses up against a wall
where warm mice bones
are hidden in the cracks.

He seeks the sound of silence
a cold embrace.
All he owns
wrapped tightly in
a thin cloak of regret

The night disturbs.
All senses on alert,
awake before dawn
he is moved along.

Walking through
a minefield of ‘shoulds’
the streets are
restless with the truth.

We are living on a catwalk
behind enemy lines
where gut feelings
are tuned to caution…