Notes About The Poem
Regret
Regret
Why I did it, I don’t know
Tornado of regret tortures my heart
On a moonless night, he approached
Limping toward me as I pumped gas
Why was it fear and not compassion
With which I greeted him
Surely homeless, he must have slept ‘neath stars
Society’s outcasts camp on the beach,
Crossing the coastal highway only under night’s cloak
Deep lines on his sun-aged skin
Bespoke many years, perhaps 70
Dirty clothes tattered, barely covering his thin frame
No, I have no spare change
No, no, I won’t help you
I just wanted him to go away
Disappointment filled his eyes
He turned and hobbled to a nearby bench
When he sat, I was horrified
All his possessions lay beside him on the seat
An old Army cap he pulled out
And placed it on his head
He fought for our country
And I could not find a few dollars to help
As I drove away, I burst into tears
Feeling ashamed, disgusted with myself
Only two blocks from home,
I turned my car around
But he had moved on
January 13, 2020
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