Untitled - July 20, 2002

Who can describe despair
having never felt it?
Who can write of pain,
having never lived it?

Only living through
the depths of the hottest hells
could the strongest of souls
survive
to live another day.

It is survival
that governs the rules of the land,
where desperation drives everything
and strength is king.

Mental, physical, and emotional strength
to see past the surface
and visit the hope
that lingers within the eyes
of a young child,
to find shelter for the displaced,
and to give chances
for those without a break.

It is the downtrodden
and lost souls
that live within so many
of our inner cities;
where they live
forgotten
by those who would not know
of their fears
or their dreams
because we have not asked
how can we help?
but, instead turning a blind eye
to the homeless,
the poverty,
and the worldliness
that fills the eyes
of those too young
to dream of lost innocence.