Millions of my brethren line the streets at night. Vents and benches are filled with the homeless veterans of America. They served their country in a time of crisis and now the crisis is theirs only they have no one to serve them. They have become an outcast of society. Them along with their families no longer matter in the grand scheme. Once heroes, once fathers, once brothers, once friends, they are now burdens. Burdens not only to America, but even worse, they are burdens to themselves.
Will work for food
Why do I disgust you
Is it my dirty clothes
Or my dirty hands
Is it the fact that I asked for change
Or is it that I asked you
Is my sign offensive to you
Homeless Vet, need help please
My disfigurement maybe
I endured the pain for you
I would look you in the eyes
Only you are looking down
Do I embarrass you
Or am I embarrassing to you
I would have showered
Just tell me where to go
And if I showered then would you help
I would still be in these clothes
They are the only ones that I own
Do you think it’s a scam
You say go get a job
Would you hire me
Would you work beside me
On the application it ask for an address
That changes daily due to weather
And when it ask for a phone number
Whose do I give them
I get messages from the shelter
A prison of the streets
At night they lock the doors
The women and children scream
You learn to look away
Because you have learned that lesson
Never to be broken again ,Society is not the most cruel
My suffering is in the loss of spirit
When my fellow-man walks past me and looks away
When I am asked to move from the steps of the church
When the nighttime screams go unheard
I was once a good father
I was once a good soldier
I was once a good American
I was once a good man
Apparently in your opinion
I am no longer
3 replies on “Am I Detestable”
[…] Am I Detestable […]
All is not as it seems. AND giving handouts to panhandlers who claim to be veterans enforces their lie. Many of them are NOT! It is far more important to ask something of these people in exchange for the money. Give them a sense of earning something. More importantly, contact your legislature and PUSH them to provide properly for our disabled veterans. Homeless people are frequently homeless because they don’t live within the constraints of society. Our communities need to provide something much more important an a food handout. Communities (not governments- except to veterans) need to offer a hand up and an opportunity to re-enter society as responsible, contributing members.
I agree with the fact that we need to have them accomplish something. I can envision the CCC Camps that my grandfathers worked at as being a possibility. I understand that all of the homeless are not vets. I understand that all of the ones who hold up the signs are not vets. I think my point is that regardless of who are what they were, there are underlying reasons as to why they are where they are. Some, especially recently, have just fallen on hard times and can’t find their way back to solid ground. Some have gotten hooked into a life of dependency on either drugs, sex, or the freedom that the streets provide. In this story I focused on the vets because I myself am a veteran and I hold a very big place in my heart for women, children, and veteran homeless. I believe there are ways to help but in todays polarized society there will be no constructive help because all people want to do is give them a dollar just so they will move on.