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A Nickel a Can

They paw through the garbage, Retrieving the cans And bottles to get the deposit Which, likely, have come from Apartments nearby where more wait In a pantry or closet. A nickel a can, which Means nothing to most Is the source of their urban survival. The beer and the soda We drink and we toss, unaware They await its arrival. Imagine depending On other folks’ trash To furnish the means to keep living. If only more thought of The souls such as these, Perhaps there’d be more to our giving.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2017




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Date: 2/17/2017 11:53:00 PM
With indignant dignity they sate their fill. With emptyness that others swill. I've seen their cars completely full. To them, this is no bull.
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Date: 2/2/2017 7:15:00 PM
Yes, as Arthur says, this is heart breaking. A very good poem and idea to write on.
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Date: 2/1/2017 9:36:00 PM
Breaks my heart when I see that, so well said Ilene!
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Book: Reflection on the Important Things