Degradation

homeless man on the edge of the park devours his gifted pizza crumbs stick to his dirt streaked face like layers of public disdain people about regard him a walking virus homeless man scents the air with squalor his torn clothes proclaim the cheapness of rags an untidy emptiness a life throttled by dysfunction as dark as a closed coffin What is the measure of degradation? What happens when direction goes missing? this man, stooped, ungainly like tall weeds, pinches bits of pizza crust thrown to birds that gather about his wounded wildness a salvage gesture to feed the birds a clarity to nourish what's unprotected to stow away grief to worry about his next meal implanted, like a field under seeded Poem Composed October 7, 2021 Contest: This or That Volume 7 Sponsor: Edward Ibeh