Image Credit: fealessmen.com
Glazed streets,
Reflection of street lamps blinding.
~~
Snowflakes fall,
Unique and ghostly frightening.
~~
Steam grates bellow,
Clouds of white coagulate in the night.
~~
Sidewalk frigid,
Stiff and frozen to the bone.
~~
Passersby laugh,
Homeless and so alone.
~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~
Hot summer days,
A/C blasting cold and refreshing,
Music blaring from the car radio,
Cardboard signs,
“Will work for food”,
Litter the freeway off-ramps,
Held by vagrants and transients,
Dirty and broken,
Looking for food,
Looking for a better life,
Hoping to survive another day,
You pass by averting your eyes,
Pretending…no wishing they were not there,
Not because of sadness for their condition,
But out of deep seated embarrassment,
Red faced by lack of action,
Of compassion,
Of sympathy,
Seeing them as less than human,
A drain on society,
Would some spare change put you out,
Not likely,
But then you would have to face reality.
~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~
Tightropes walk to the edge of ruin
Foresight focused on the next coronation
Selfish air about you floats
Ignoring the subjects by whom you’re appointed
~~
Millions seek your help after natures disaster
WIth backs turned and blinders on you drift away
Crying our duty has been faithfully done
Shameful and disgraceful are your exploits
~~
You led us to this precipice as arrogant fools will do
Tug-o-war played with lives of no consequence
Calls to work go unheeded in deafened halls
Leaving the masses pondering their fate
~~
Pointing fingers and placing blame like two year olds do
Holding your breath until your face turns blue
Shouting foul to the constituency
Hoping for some semblance of sympathy
~~
Feigning sincerity is not your passion
Ploys thrown about for the cameras leave us hollow
Begging for guidance and utopia in a barren wasteland
Sadly hope falls just out of reach
~~
Choosing to live or eat should not be in question
As human beings should these not be our unalienable right
Many of you say no all for the saving of a dollar
While claiming vociferously that we are a Christian nation
~~
Bloody and battered we hope for change
Praying diplomacy and common decency once again rears it’s head
Instead replacing cordiality with dissension
We are left drowning in a torrent of despair
~~
Harbor not ill will towards those who have entrusted
Compromise in our eyes is not an unclean word
Stubbornness and procrastination will lead to certain demise
Catapulting a once great dominion into irreparable ruin
~~ D. R. DiFrancesco ~~
By D. R. DiFrancesco
~~
Squatting down in ragged jeans,
Trembling hands counting out small change,
Pennies, nickels and dimes his life’s savings,
Mumbling to himself,
Wondering if he had enough for a drink.
Scorching sun on the molten sidewalk,
His weathered face toughened to leather,
Aged far beyond his years,
What is his story,
People pass by ignoring his existence.
Cold water,
Sweat dripping from my fingertips,
Waiting to pay for my pleasure,
Mind drifting back to the poor man on the sidewalk,
What fate lies ahead for him.
He asked for nothing,
He should not have to ask for anything,
Should we not care without request,
Tears welled up in my eyes,
This could be me.
Food and drink,
Such a small price for a brother in need,
This could never be enough, still it was all I could do,
“Here you go friend”, as the pittance was offered,
“Thank you kindly”, his humble reply.
By D. R. DiFrancesco
The sunken eyes of my child,
Daddy, I’m hungry,
A cry that stings my ears.
Oligarchs say, we will fix everything,
Really…how?
Didn’t you cause this in the first place,
Sending my labor to the third world.
Tell me what I’m to say to my little girl,
Daddy has to look for a job,
Food will have to wait.
No ones hiring,
I’m not high tech, I only know how to build things,
Since when is blue-collar a crime?
We call our old Fairmont wagon home,
B of A took our four walls,
Now where is my American dream?
They say we are the reason entitlements are broke,
They say I’m milking the system,
They don’t know, or even care who I am.
Another day on the hunt,
Another day knocking on doors,
Another day begging for work,
Another day at the food bank,
Another night in our car,
Another night of my child being hungry,
Another day of the oligarchs trying to say I’m worthless,
Tomorrow,
Another day of us fighting on!
Dom DiFrancesco 