Calculating Public Health
I wouldn't want you to walk away
with any miscalculations about me.
I am about as wild and crazy as society will allow
without confinement for my own protection.
Whenever I read a self-marketing sign
Please Help...
Vacancies of home and body,
Needing to be filled.
I feel bearers of these signs
of proper society's margins
raw and naked,
erased to try again.
When I notice long-haired grunge,
low-budget nomads with backpacks and shopping carts,
heading toward me asking to not be excused
for excusing relationships they need,
I head in their direction
to find our best resurrection
of civility
together.
My husband begrudges every dime
and points out I'm too wild
for pouring mostly alcohol
or worse down throats
without a home.
He claims they're addicted suicides
awaiting death's forgiving embrace.
But, I say this is too often true
and who am I to judge
those who explore doing their best
of worst available options
through self-medication
mixed with sheltered soups
and public kitchens
serving lines of autocracy's dark drama
Were I or he on that street
rejected by our own history of defeat
I would hope to find those wise enough to stay
with me long enough
to help medicate
lubricate
meditate my way
to suffer with human emptiness
and ask me please to stay,
tell MAGAs all my blues,
sing and dance this suffering
buffering away.
I'm retired.
Have more cash than I could ever need,
and don't want to go out that way,
hoarding funds for those who already have too much
while somewhere out there stands
a homeless sign whose bearer
needs to drink her lunch
at least and most this day.
If our legacy manifests
both what we do for love
and what we do not do from fear
and shame
and blame
If both our actions and omissions,
our positives and negatives,
remain behind to feed up and starve out our kids,
then why would I not choose
to offer social caring
when uncivilized neglect to care is so clearly that of which
this homelessness was made.
Copyright © Gerald Dillenbeck | Year Posted 2016
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