Work
On knees
head on ground
Proud supplicants
Abandoned by the state
Shunned by those who used to care
Once, they were sons and daughters, mothers and fathers
Days end, these sons and daughters, mothers and fathers
Head home to their tiny public cardboard rooms
Public verandahs protect from rain
grimy, slimy sleeping bags
Possessions few
Chinese bags
Homeless
Cold
A homeless girl Giving renewal
A scholarship she won Empowering homeless
Yet still she knows She trains
Cold kills She employs
Coats needed is not a fix.
S0 she sews this bandaid
Yet she knows
On a recent trip to Sydney I was met with homeless people by the score. On every street corner was a person begging. Most sat on their knees with their heads touching the ground. Arms stretched out. A container of some type between them to take what meagre offerings were given. Most people walked past without seeing them. Perhaps without care or perhaps with so much they didn’t know what to do.
The building on a corner near my hotel was home to these homeless people. They had carved out their own space with card board boxes creating rooms. Their sleeping bags lay rumpled as though they had arisen and not made their bed that morning. A soup kitchen on Martin Place fed them. This wasn’t the only place they slept. On arrival at the library for an early morning start one man lay in his sleeping bag, asleep by the front door.
Discussion was held “Do we wake him?” They let him sleep. There was no need for him to be up that early. The library didn’t open officially until 1o. I was overwhelmed. I could give some money but that was such a temporary answer. I was pleased to come across this video on my return. This was what is needed.
She Gets Yelled At For Giving Coats To The Homeless. Her Response? Brilliant!.
My poem is written with the third stanza a V. V for victory as this is what I think this young girl has achieved.
Written in reponse to Charli”s 99 word prompt where she asks:
April 8, 2015 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a renewal story that proclaims, “This isn’t the end; I will go on.” Think of the mythical phoenix that rises up from the ashes; of Cinderella after midnight on the night of the ball; of a hero that faces certain death; of love after tragedy; of renewing life’s lemonade transitions. Go where the prompt leads and own your story; the ones you’ve lived and the ones you imagine for fiction. Stand in solidarity with others to find the semicolons in life that chooses to nurture and not succumb.
Respond by April 14, 2015 to be included in the weekly compilation.Rules are here. All writers are welcome!
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Oh, Irene, this post is so moving. Homelessness is such a layered problem.
You refer to a video, but there is no link. Am I missing something?
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Sorry Ula that the video is missing. I have now added it but perhaps you can get it from here
She Gets Yelled At For Giving Coats To The Homeless. Her Response? Brilliant!. If not it is now in the post.
Yes it is a multi- layered problem and I felt absoutely helpless and couldn’t understand what seemed to be utter indifference.
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I just watched the video. It is so great what she did, helping people in so many ways. We definitely need more people like that in the world.
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Yes Veronika has done an amazing thing and should be a great example as to what can be done.
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Your poem brings home the question: “what can we do when there’s nothing to do?” San Francisco of course as it’s share of homeless, and even the small towns nearby in the midst of Silicon Valley, one of the richest areas in the state, has the problem.
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What a lovely and thoughtful piece, Irene. YOU saw them and that matters.
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We don’t see homeless people here although perhaps now my eyes have been opened I might find them here as well. It’s a problem that should not be happening.
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V is for victory! That’s a semi-colon that takes on a victorious shape! There’s many who live homeless around soup kitchens and shelters, many who live in their cars, Many who camp, many who ride the rails, many who are displaced among friends or relatives caring enough to offer a room or a couch. There’s an uncounted number of homeless in varying degrees. It’s a complex issue. But we definitely need more people like Veronika Scott who looks beyond the complex layers and creates products and systems that fill the gaps. Great flash poem!
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Thanks Charli. Yes V is also for Veronika who looked past the top layer. I found the number of homeless large but the total indifference just unbelievable.
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Very moving, Irene, and I am so impressed that you managed to set it out in a V-shape – it really adds to the atmosphere of the poem.
Homelessness is a complex issue, as Charli says, but our hopelessness shouldn’t be a rationale for ignoring these unfortunate people. Compassion rocks!
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This is an Australia wide problem. I found your piece very moving.
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Thank you Barbara. I hate to admit that I was only semi-aware of it and had no idea of the enormity of the problem.
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Oh Irene, how moved you have been to write this poem, and so cleverly like this in a V for Victory. I was blown away by the video when I saw what Veronika is doing – V for Veronika too! Homelessness is such a complex issue as others have already said and it is difficult when we feel so helpless, not knowing how to help. You help with posts like these, thank you my friend ❤
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Yes I don’t know why I didn’t think V for Veronika. She really is doing something special. ❤
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Definitely ❤
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Where is the ❤ button?!
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❤
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