A man and a sack

Contemplating on how dreams could be easily killed by pursuing the wrong place and fighting at the wrong time. Still, Dream on!

With skinned knee

and a little panting.

The pursuers are gone!

There is freedom

to roam around and retrace 

the ambition-laden place.

With a sack in his hand

the man keeps walking.

                                                     There were bright lights, he saw

                                                     As bright as a newly found feat!

                                                     But o, so blinding!

                                                     Pretty lights bedazzling

                                                     Burning lights burning

                                                     his struggling, hopeless dream.

His throat dry

and his stomach growling.

The patrols are lost!

And alone he looks

- breaking his neck and jaws -

up to the skyscraper's roof.

With a sack in his hand

the man keeps looking.

                                                    There were big diners, he saw

                                                    As big as his hungered life's work!

                                                     but o, constantly mocking!

                                                    Scrumptious meals inviting

                                                    Fragrant flavors conquering

                                                    his tired, defenseless dream.

A lone man

with a torn, empty sack

stood there crying.

Author's Note

This was inspired by a lone, hungry (he looks hungry), tired (he looks tired) man that I saw later today carrying a torn, worn-out sack as he walked along the city. I wondered how he could look so out of place. And I wondered how many men walked out-of-place on places where they thought they could fill their sacks of dreams, and how they would feel when they realized that they have come to the wrong place. And then, this poem is born. Just sharing the inspiration of the poem. :)

Reviews

[Lydia Shutter]

We all need a dream to carry in the proverbial sack...a reason to keep going from one day into the next. Without a dream...a goal....what good is getting through another day? We all need to strive for something. That homeless man inspired a great poem. I liked the format in which you presented this one. Written with human kindness. Lydi**

[EloisaWrites]

Thank you so much for your kind words, Lydi. :)

[Sami Khalil]

"A lone man
with a torn, empty sack
stood there crying."

[Sami Khalil]

Only a compassionate heart and a humanitarian seeying eyes can witness the homeless on the streets of big cities and be moved to write about it for life is harsh to a lot of people looking for answers and solutions...A very good , compassionate poem...:)..............

[EloisaWrites]

Thank you, Sami. Your words are very kind. :)

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome...:)......................

[jacob erin-cilberto]

a homeless man, carrying a sign, looking for food...but this man instead is poor of dream...he is looking for a dream to find sustenance, reason to live...so hard to find sometimes..we end up where we never thought we would...poor of that ambition for what we sought.

nicely worded.

[EloisaWrites]

Thanks for the review, Jacob. I once thought that it is impossible for man never to have dreams. I think I was (a little) right on the context everyone dreams, it is just that some pursue the wrong ones, and then they end up hungry.

[Pryde Foltz]

Insightful poem, Eloisewrites. Choose your battles wisely.

[EloisaWrites]

Thank you, Pryde. :)

[TheLoneWriter]

That was a great poem! I absolutely loved the imagery! I really love the story line and I felt how the man felt in my heart. Amazing!

[EloisaWrites]

Thank you for all your reviews, lonewriter. It means a lot to me. :)

[Bob Sherunkle]

I thought that was fantastic.A lot of my writing is based on human beings down on their luck,and I often wonder what brought them there.Self indulgance or just rotten luck.Great writing!

[EloisaWrites]

Thank you for your review, Bob! It just popped out when I saw that man. I also often wondered on those two things: self-indulgence and bad luck. :)