All is lost

alone in the world...

Flick me a dime,

pays god and buys me some time.

Throw me a glance,

It maybe your last chance.

Toes poke through the warped stinking leather,

my a*s hangs out my pants,taking a beating from this weather.

Chin bristled like a well worn brush,

hair matted like a dogs after a wet run..I.. STINK !

Eyes that have lost all soul and hope,

let me fall from last grace,i cant cope.

No doors will open,

No hands will beckon.

No lips shall kiss this f****n mess,

No one will miss....

Me.

Reviews

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I just read a story yesterday where a man came to America about three months ago from the Ukraine, I believe it was. He moved to Florida. Unfortunately, he lost his job, so he went to New York to look for work. He was in some station, waiting for his cell phone to charge, when he fell asleep. While asleep, someone robbed him of what little he had, including a $1,000 that he had in cash and his passport, even his shoes. He had been sleeping on the streets of New York, hadn't bathed in weeks, and was completely bereft and couldn't even speak English. His beard was longer than it had ever been in his life, having not shaved in two months.

Fortunately, for him, a company was handing out clothes to the homeless and the owner's significant other spoke Russian. They ended up giving him clothing and food, got his hair cut, paid for a hotel room in order for him to shower and get cleaned up. They contacted the embassy and was able to get his passport, and they even purchased a one-way ticket for him to get back home, since all he wanted to do was to get home and see his children.

I don't think all is lost as long as one is alive and there is someone alive to care. One should never give up hope until they're no longer alive to think about it.

I do think your poem speaks to the nature of humans and how, all too often, we toss a coin and never give a second thought to someone that's down on his luck. There just seems to be so much sadness in this world that we have to become immune to it in order not to be completely decimated ourselves.

[Bob Sherunkle]

Thank you for your time to read and respond.I read through this and I got a little upset.Not in a non Alpha male way,or any social stigma form,but you understand what I'm getting at.We are very quickly turning into some kind of souless mess.The message which you kindly posted shows why we should take a second look..at someone.Not all humans are on the streets because they're crack addicts or all those horrible things that tear families apart.Some have just been royal fucked by life..and need a dime,a coffee,a kind word(with meaning,) couple of bucks for a bed and a shower.You got it.Thank you.x

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

You're welcome. I actually had a similar incident a couple of weeks ago. I went to a local Wal-Mart during my lunch hour to pick up a few groceries. When I parked the car and got out, there was a woman standing nearby, who said, "Excuse me. I'm stranded over here without a ride home. I keep asking for help and everyone looks at me like I'm some kind of bum or something and won't help me out. Do you have $3 so that I can take the bus home?" Now, keep in mind that I rarely, and I mean never, carry cash on my person. That morning, however, I had grabbed some ones and put them in my wallet.

I responded to her, "It so happens that I do." As I opened my wallet to hand her the ones, she said, "If you had $5 to spare that would be great, then I can get me something to eat." So, I gave her the $5 and told her to have a nice day.

I then proceeded to the store. At the front door, there were a couple of people from Gleaning for the World and they were collecting donations for the storm victims in the Philippines. So, I gave them $5 as well.

I couldn't help but to think of how fortunate we are in America. While we have bad weather in some areas, floods, etc., overall, we are pretty damned lucky. We have never suffered that kind of devastation in recent memory.

I know that there are those who are on the streets because of their own bad choices in life. I think far more, however, are mentally ill, disabled, or even veterans.

We are all broken in some way. I think the homeless, however, are more broken than most; and I don't just mean monetarily.

One can have all the riches in the world and be completely bankrupt in soul. It's a sad reflection of our society.

[Bob Sherunkle]

you may be poor in pocket and rich in soul,thick in wallet but empty in heart.Thanks for your comment,they mean so much.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Amen! You're welcome. :-)

[Bob Sherunkle]

have a beautiful evening and weekend..

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

And, for you, the same.

[Mr.Boffin]

great poem...very sad....should make us all think twice before we look down on the homeless...good read!

[Bob Sherunkle]

Thank you Randall,thanks

[Laura Harrison]

I find it sad that there's so many people homeless nowadays and most people walking past them in the street don't even glance their way. You expressed yourself really well in this piece, good job :)

[Bob Sherunkle]

Thank you,next time,give them a buck or 2,if you have it.

[David]

this is very well written, I like the descriptive words and the way you use them it's a very well told story and I hope you continue to express your mind and soul this way good job kido

[Bob Sherunkle]

Ryan, your a gent.Thank you.

[David]

Thanks lol and you're welcome you earned it

[Bob Sherunkle]

Have a great weekend buddy.

[David]

you too man

[Daniel Sala]

What a sad piece, the people you see in the street/out and about in the condition you describe..., requiem for the invisible unwanted... Very succinct, and the last word/line brings the message home even more. But for the grace of God, eh...

[Bob Sherunkle]

Daniel,thank for reading.This is the human we walk past every day..not giving a s**t.We give a s**t about giving money to help animals first..Why?? I believe everyone and every animal should be helped if in pain and suffering..don't get me wrong.Ah f*ck..I dont know..Thanks for your comments though man,appreciate your time.

[Daniel Sala]

Ohhh, "Bob's yer uncle", finally get it...! Tragic isn't it: "Oh God it's a tramp/weirdo/etc., I'll just pretend to be looking at my 'phone or ipod intently, I'll pretend not to see, and I hope they don't try to engage me in any conversation or ask me for anything or mug me or something or other..." Some-one said the same thing the other day, I paraphrase a little, but not much: "People queue up for hours to buy an Xbox but don't give a crumb to a starving family next door - we are quite pervertedly lost."
But to be fair, not everyone is like that, there are many kind people too, and people are frightened, about so many things, we all have our own problems to deal with and we are conditioned in so many ways.
Education, education, education or everything else will take an eternity to improve.
Nice read, Bob, always good to remind ourselves that self-pitying navel-gazing is spoilt vanity and real issues matter far more.

[Bob Sherunkle]

Daniel,you are right,we are scared,dont want to engage.We have to ask ourselves..who made us this way?Technology?

[Daniel Sala]

Interesting. Maybe an increasingly threatening pace of life and fear of crime or hassle rather than technology, oh and moronic populist popular culture is largely to blame, 'though the wind has begun to blow in the opposite direction but you can't smell if for the smell of Happy Fries and the old fart robber baron ogres' breath still pervading all aspects of our lives; chasing tails and wanting to not feel stressed or bad and no-one likes a mirror they would hate to see themselves in - maybe that is a part of the fear, who knows, I haven't got a clue, frankly, humanity has not changed too much since it got going, same shop different façades...

[Bob Sherunkle]

were allexpected to succumb to intrusion all to easily,facebook,MySpace etc.F*8k it.I have a facebook page,but luckily no one has bothered! Consumer Kialedescope..

[R. L. Hill]

This is stunning. This is regarding homelessness yes? It tugs at my guilt: "Flick me a dime/pays god and buys me some time". That guilt I feel proves that your words are giving an affect. Truly well done. You say this is a work in progress, but I rather like its length. I love how you put such a gritty and guilty subject into visual expression for me. I don't want to look away like it's disgusting or something I can't handle. Rather, I want to read it over and over again. "Eyes that have lost all soul and hope/let me fall from last grace, I can't cope". Shivers...truly

[Bob Sherunkle]

Many thanks Quirklet.I live in a city which doesn't give a f**k about a lot of things...people,who are NOT things are disgarded like the "old mobile". People,if they are,have to stop,once in a while.Thank you for reading.Means a lot.

[Bob Sherunkle]

How do i add a you tube video???

[R. L. Hill]

Thank you for writing on something that moves you so passionately. It truly is sick how we so easily disregard others for the sake of distractions.

[Bob Sherunkle]

we're constantly distracted....

[Bob Sherunkle]

...a work in progress....