Mr man

A Poem by William Maisonave

sometimes we need to stop being so judgemental and see whats beneath the surface

Sure

My hands are grimy

Rough to the touch

If you had the courage to feel

My face is dirty, tired

Overgrown with unkempt beard

My eyes are piercing as steel

My clothing is old

Ripped and torn

No decent job

But...

like most of you

I work

so hard

I stumble,

I scratch,

i crawl...

Until my fingertips

Bleed

and my knuckles are raw

Always struggling to escape

This living grave

I've somehow fallen into

I am still a man!

A person

Human, the same as you

If you had the courage

Or were brave enough

You'd see

Past these torn and soiled garmets...

Past my filthy fingernails...

to the person who lies beneath

I smile at the sound of a childs laughter

have sad beautiful memories to bear

Enjoy the warm sunshine on my face

I have dreams as well

Of a better tomorrow

Only my today...

Is a living nightmare

And no one seems willing

to lend a helping hand

I'll continue to scratch and crawl

Filled by burning hope

...And if by chance

Your world should suddenly fall apart

And you find yourself

In a grave when you haven't yet died

I'll share what little I have

Whisper words of encouragement

Lend a shoulder if you need to cry

because I've been there

I can appreciate

Your worth

Despite empty pockets

Unkempt beard, Dirty nails, And ragged clothes

Despite your filth and dirt.

© 2011 William Maisonave

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Featured Review

Zoe Jay

This is a beautiful and sympathetic ode to the working man, full of empathy and tenderness. It is both viciously insightful as to how a life of work and toil and worry will drag down our spirit, but yet also courageously optimistic, reminding us that the spirit does survive, that joy and appreciation may thrive amidst filth and dirt. Very raw and descriptive language especially near the start, shading into a more tender and contemplative mood towards the end, nice shift of tone. Nice structure, even and consistent, but with effective use of shorter lines here and there to add some drama and punch to the poem. Good job!