People Watching
Not young enough - or old enough - for crawling on all fours Pausing to puff his cigarette which keep falling to the floor Far too hot for sleeves yet he wore a sweater Tattered pants, dirty shoes, hands and feet no better Never seen a slower crawl finally staggered to our spot Pathetic looks and pleas to no avail others shunned and shooed him on One fellow had a change of heart pursued the forsaken man Called Emergency as he collapsed clasping ragged shoes in hand A feeble attempt to depart with Samaritan still standing guard a heartless drunk took a rod struck his head, knocked him forward Maybe he lost all strength maybe he tried to crawl Plunged head first down the steps and vanished before us all Police showed first, then ambulance violent citizen got off free Resolution I will never know memories will never leave me Though I never hurt the beggar like the beast who cracked his head I fear that doing nothing made me also guilty