There's no place

 It's been a cold, wet, and miserable winter's day today, but I've had the benefit of a fire to warm my backside by, and hot food and drink.

Others aren't so well blessed.

There’s no place….

Today has been the kind of day that

shows a man no pity

sarcastic showers of icy rain that

laughing, cut him cold

they’re driven on by gusts of wind that

if dry, would be gritty

but even without dust and grit they

make his joints feel old

The cloud conspires to fill the skies and

block the sun from shining

and driving rain is crystalising,

turning now to sleet

his threadbare clothes are not enough,

without their inner lining

hands thrust deep in empty pockets,

split shoes on bare feet.

This young man stands dejected without

solace in this cold world

his empty heart is lonely, with no

friends or loving care,

Society has rejected him, he

struggles to connect again

but people have no pity on worn

clothes and matted hair

He keeps on walking, even though

his journey leads him nowhere

It’s all that keeps him warm, he’s had no

drink or food to eat

for several days it’s been like this

he’s feeling quite beyond care

he dreams of tea, and egg and chips

or God forbid, some meat.

All the while, he’s looking out for a

warm and cosy alcove

somewhere that he can hide away from

Winter’s boning-knife

and if he’s really lucky, there’ll be a

grille with warm air venting

from a kitchen in the basement

that will maybe save his life.

But sadly, that is not to be,

this mere hallucination

is all he has to cling to

just a dream within his head

For come the morning under snow

his rigid body will be found

In a corner with some rubbish

curled up, foetal, frozen, dead.