A Homeless Man Named Sam- Part 1

Hebrews 13:2 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." "Authors Note: This is a true short story/poem of my strange encounter with a dear, homeless man named Sam. This happened in 1992, when I was living in Grass Valley, Ca. These are not actual pictures of Sam, but they remind me of him in so many ways. We should care about people, all people, homeless or otherwisez' ***Dedicated to Sam*** ____________________________________________________ Part 1 He stood alone on the corner on a local, busy, traveled street In ragged clothes holding a sign standing in the cold or heat “Anything Helps,God Bless", it says, on his small cardboard sign "I’d appreciate whatever you give, even a nickel or a dime". Most all the drivers pass him by, seeming not to care But every time I see him, I feel such a need to share I’ve seen him at other places in that same part of town A place where the homeless go; those that are lonely and down There’s a shelter down the street, a couple of blocks away It’s called “Open Door Mission” a place where the homeless stay I want to cry when I see this place, full of children, women and men Driving down by the Mission down on Nicholas Street, I see them picking through dirty, garbage bins Glad when they find a piece of clothing, or joyful for some aluminum cans Some people think it’s shameful when others are down, or in such paltry jams I think to myself, “How can they feel this way, it could be them or me”! “Open your eyes”, I want to yell out loud, “Isn’t this the land of the free”? How far have we come from this ideal, 'Land of the Free, Home of the Brave”? On our holiday, the Fourth of July, does that saying mean the same today?