Beggar

Today, February 14th, 2004,

My shoe is on the floor,

A man spies in the window

Lookin’ for food, no where to go;

I let him in, sit him down, have him tell a tale,

He speaks of miscreants and men for sale,

Fading fortunes and monster greed,

Hunger, waste, and mother’s mead;

I offer food, I offer dust,

I offer gold, I offer lust,

He reneges – refuses all I’ve got,

Wants peace instead, reconciliation and an unmolested spot;

I give him blankets and tell him sprawl on the floor,

He thanks me kindly but says it’s too near the door;

I give him my bed, back in the room,

He smiles and goes and makes it his room;

I crash on the floor, not far from the road –

And I see what he sees, know what he knows;

I close my eyes and can’t stop my mind –

Hurricane comin’ and everyone blind.