Demons

DEMONS by JOHN M. ARRIBAS There are scenes we encounter on a daily basis Worn out shoes, dirty clothes and unshaven faces A man unwashed and dirty, acting erratic Joined by a likewise, both living nomadic They’ve just emerged from across the street Searching dumpsters for things to sell or eat Soon they are joined by a woman in rags Pushing a cart filled with dozens of bags They act robotic all wearing a blind stare They don’t see you, to them you’re not there Everyone has demons deep with in their soul That remain patiently dormant, awaiting a call Then emerge insidiously, when you’re on trial You can face your weakness or go into denial It may not be easy for others to comprehend They’ve not met the demons they’ll need to upend Dismiss rash judgements they’re usually unsound Erroneous labels can only confuse and confound Their demons may come from another time An endless penalty for an unpunished crime You may labor forever attempting to undo A merciless curse that was cast upon you You are not alone there are others as well Each days existence is a nightmare in hell No one cares, each day is framed in gloom Restitution is needed but where and to whom Maybe in Nam where the duty was to kill Or in a hospital where the baby was still Are these humans insane or are they possessed That is the answer that must be addressed Demons(2) There are too many to brush them aside We need solutions to say, we’ ve really tried These tortured souls need our recognition To help them get sanity with no precondition Don’t lock them up, don’t put them in jail That type of remedy is destined to fail So we clean them up, give them food to eat Check them out, dump them back on the street Trauma or heartache is the reason for some To cede their resistance and slowly succumb They’ve insulated themselves from the daily grind Acting like vagabonds is the only peace they can find Don’t be to quick to condemn them as waste There are still obstacles we all have to face There once was a fellow considered a mensch Last time I saw him , sprawled out on a bench