Sleep Outside

At night he slept outside.
It was not the first time.
His fingernails black with
dirt from the unclean street.

At 5am some bakeries open.
There is still no light in the sky.
The man walks in with two
bucks for small talk and bread.
He stops by most mornings
with too much hunger and
too much body odor. He is
hurried away, told to please
take a bath. Suddenly, he walks

off. I sit near where he sat.
I am told by the owner sorry
for the smell. I feel bad for both
of them, the homeless man and
the owner. There will be no bathing.
Lots of men and women live on
the street in need of a pair of shoes,
stockings, and reunification with
family. In the streets there is always
another homeless man in the street
living a miserable life. You will see
them here and there. They will

sleep in laundromats that open all
night. I have seen children too
with homeless parents, babies.
They are out all day and night.
Chew on that and watch the world
collapse and we will join them.