I WAS THERE

I was there that night~

He was in the hospitals café~

In his wheel chair~

Complaining out loud flusteredly~

Trying to determine if he could afford a cup of coffee~

Which was much more than he originally thought~

He with red, grey out of control fuzzed out hair~

With a grey beard and~

Mustache that covered mostly all his face~

With wanting confused eyes~

Was at a frenzied pace!

I was there that night~

To see him~

Miserable, minimal and~

Low in his wheel chair~

Confined~

Having from head to toe~

As many clothes as he could layer on~

To brave the bitter cold~

With obscure plastic bags and~

A tattered back pack near by~

He muddled to compose himself~

As we caught each others eyes.

I was there that night~

When he was out right flustered! ~

Ranting like nothing could go more wrong! ~

That is when I asked him~

“Do you need money for coffee?” ~

Which followed with his hesitation~

He didn’t want to beg for money~

But took my only dollars I had left and~

Some change anyway~

I could tell his remorse for having to do so~

As I gave him a look like it was no bother and~

Perfectly ok.

I was there that night~

When he was so helpless~

Trying to now fill his cup with coffee~

From below the beige counter~

Trying to obtain the staples to~

Make his coffee right~

Fumbling~

Confused~

As the unreachable was above him~

Not able to even reach far enough to pay the cashier~

Which must of seemed a mile away to him~

Only a few steps for me~

So I reached for the money~

Handing it to the cashier on his behalf~

I was happy to help him~

Some might call me I am sure daft.

I was there that night~

As he still rambled on~

What a pickle he was in~

How the hospital said there was nothing they~

Could do for him~

I thought to myself~

What a shame and~

Possibly a sin.

I was there that night~

When he told his story~

How he was sent money to visit a woman~

Whom turned him away in the dead of a winter night~

Saying “She no longer wanted him” ~

After he a traveled far away from his normal safe haven~

He was down and out and frustrated~

As he told this out loud~

Others acted like it didn’t phase them.

I was there that night~

When I asked him if he was homeless? ~

As he quickly answered “yes” ~

Reiterating his travel woeful story~

Again about the strange woman who~

Sent him money to visit.

I was there that night~

When I saw one Good Samaritan man shared a half of~

His sandwich with him~

In turn it made me feel not alone with my concern for~

This homeless bloke~

Because it troubled me why most people~

Overlooked and disregarded this man~

As he disassembled~

Troubled~

Uncomfortable~

Worried how he could obtain a simple coffee~

Easy for most of us~

But insurmountable for he~

How could they not read between the lines~

To hear his plea?

I was there that night~

When I saw scads of people ignore him~

As they walked around and~

By him~

Busily assembling their own nourishment~

As he flummoxed amongst them so low and ~

Run down in his wheel chair~

It was as if he had been on the floor~

They would had stepped over and on top of him~

This I must say personally I wholly deplored!

I was there that night~

Finally tearing myself away to go on with my duty~

Feeling like I wished I could do more~

Baffled why a handful of hospital officers just~

Stood gathered socializing gaily at the Café door?

I was there that night~

As I walked and~

Thought in the freezing cold snowy air~

About this poor man~

Jostling how much I should care? ~

As I seated myself on the damp bus stop bench~

I continued to ponder~

While for him my heart wrenched.

I was there that night~

As I contemplated~

Why should I care as much as I do? ~

Is that a flaw in me that I could not ignore like others do? ~

But shouldn’t we all care? ~

Why do I so much want to ask the authorities what they intend~

To do with this man? ~

Why has no one found him a shelter to stay? ~

Between the hospital and~

Police wouldn’t you think a solution would be obtained? ~

Back and forth thoughts play in my mind~

Should I just mind my own business? ~

What do I truly know about him and his situation? ~

But geeze a case like this isn’t it everyone’s business?

I was there that night~

Thinking still on the frosty bus stop bench~

Worried and concerned about the homeless man~

When I realized while helping him~

I forgot to pay for my own coffee~

At the café I had been in!

I was there that night~

When I went back to the café~

Apologizing for not paying~

While still noting~

There he still was~

The homeless wheel chair man~

Sitting there remotely~

With out a single friend.

I was there that night~

As I went to buy my cookies for a snack~

Around seven pm~

Finding myself buying an extra one~

I said to him~

“Do you like cookies?” ~

As I proceeded to hand him his own cookie bag~

He complained about his plight once more~

Following up with~

“How would they like it if I killed myself?” ~

“I think I will kill myself” ~

My automatic response was to say~

“You wouldn’t want to do that”~

As I thought to change the subject to~

Something optimistic~

I had to think fast!

I was there that night~

When I asked him~

“What lesson he had learned from all this?” ~

He gave an answer I recollect naught~

Than I gave him the logical answer~

In a half humorous way~

“We do not trust strange women and~

Leave our safe haven in the dead of the winter~

With no money~

Hundreds of miles away from home where we should had stayed” ~

He than chuckled~

Agreeing I was right~

I wished him a better night~

As I walked to return to my mothers bedside~

Hoping I might had brightened his attitude for his horrible plight.

I was there that night~

As I left my mother in the evening at the hospital~

To return to the hospital hotel~

As the security guard in his four wheel drive~

Was surely on his way to shuttle me to the ~

Very modest humble abode~

When a familiar figure caught my eye~

Yes it was he~

The wheel chair homeless man set up outside the hospital doors~

Now wearing his gloves~

As it was bitterly cold.

I was there that night~

When I spoke once again to him~

He said there was no place in a shelter for him~

Except far away in another town~

But alas he had no means to get a ride there~

Being handicapped in a wheel chair~

As I turned~

I saw in the other direction a fleet of ambulances lined up~

Some ready and waiting~

Others just sitting cold for no purpose at all~

To me ironic as they seemed in this situation mocking~

This poor man unlucky life’s fall.

I was there that night~

As suddenly my ride was here~

The security guard as he gave me time to climb in the vehicle~

Had gotten out of the car to~

Chit chat with what looked to me as an official officer~

They were boldly conversing about the wheel chair man~

With a coldness of words that would chill anyone’s heart~

“This was it”! ~

Before I hopped in the car I said to~

Both of the officers as nice a pie~

“I don’t know if this makes a difference to you?” ~

“But earlier I heard that poor man say~

He wanted to kill himself” ~

Their looks back at me~

Made me look and feel a fool.

I was there that night~

When the officers with unconcerned looks~

Practically acted like they never heard me~

As well they did! ~

But they with knowing looks to each other~

Made it clear to me~

They did not appreciate my information I had interjected~

So still thinking eventually he would be helped~

Especially after the fact I blurted out~

I shut up~

Climbed in the car~

To be shuttled off to the hotel~

That wasn’t too far.

***

I was there that morning~

At Dunkin Donuts across the street from the hospital~

As I stood in line for my coffee~

I noticed her~

Carrying her prized plastic bags~

With a green plaid umbrella~

Talking to no one that was there~

She looked harmless~

As she puttered around doing something only~

She would know to~

Every table in there~

As she still continued talking to~

Some imaginary friend~

That certainly wasn’t to~

Considered normal eyes clear.

I was there that morning~

After she was called to the side hall~

Seeming to disappear? ~

I was there that morning~

When I sat drinking my coffee~

I kept questioning familiar bags on the floor? ~

Maybe they were hers and~

She forgot them? ~

Maybe they belonged to the boy at the~

Next table listening to his music? ~

As I sipped on my coffee and~

Had only looked down for a minute or two~

When a familiar silhouette caught my eye again~

Yes it was he! ~

Those bags were his!

Oddly I felt delighted~

To see someone I felt I knew!

I was there that morning~

When I let my positive thoughts fly~

As I said good morning to him~

“Oh you have a coffee?” I said~

Happy for him~

Until he said~

He had spent the night out in the frigid cold~

Right in front of the hospital doors~

On a night it snowed till dawn~

As I am sure many came and left to go~

What I was hearing I felt was so wrong!

I was there that morning~

Trying to console him~

With positive thoughts~

As well as some practical suggestions~

Which I found he had already tried~

Still waiting from last night a call back from two, one, one.

I was there that morning~

As I wished him well~

Feeling helpless myself~

In disbelief ~

How could officials allow this~

Man to go through such hell?

I was there that morning~

As I walked away~

Doing what only thing I could think of~

In my power that would work~

Turning to GOD~

As I apprehensibley walked away~

Trying to collect my emotions~

That were now frayed.

I was there that morning~

As I walked away and prayed for him~

So very hard~

I walked and released my worry to GOD.

I was there that morning~

Praying as I walked~

That GOD would make someone official truly care~

I talked to GOD as if I knew HE was a friend that was there.

I was there that morning~

Praying all the way to~

The hospital where my mother recuperating lay.

Yes I was there that morning~

As he the poor man was there~

Yes I was there that morning~

Trying to help with what I had to offer~

All I felt I had left to help~

Was my strongest of prayers…

By Lisa J. Warner AKA Lisa Luv

CopyRight2/20/2014@LisaLuvLLC