Tiffani Pontchartrain
A gnarled old man, leaning on his cane,
In the park he lives and will remain.
His cart filled with odds and ends galore,
They won't even let him in the door
To wash all his clothes and get a meal
Because they're afraid that he will steal;
They will send him back to jail to live
Why can't these people learn to forgive?
A young woman, carrying a child,
Screaming in anger and acting wild;
The home threw her out for using crack.
ODSP is giving her flak
And telling her they'll call Children's Aid.
By society, she's being flayed
For being addicted to a drug.
We stick noses in the air and shrug.
A young couple, looking for a home;
Out on the streets, they are forced to roam.
Two tiny infants in a stroller;
Hear the sound of the asphalt roller
As it levels the road at their side.
The babies scream, their eyes opened wide,
As the noise assaults them, all around.
It appears to be a wall of sound.
Lonely woman, sitting on a bench;
Her life has dealt her a nasty wrench:
She lost her husband just yesterday;
There are no words left for her to say.
She sits in silent contemplation
Of her sudden sad situation,
That casts on her a shadow of fear:
How will she survive, now he's not here?
A lovely woman, quite elegant,
Sits on the steps of a tenement
Hollowed out by a fire just turned cold;
Suddenly, she feels quite grey and old.
She used to live in that burned-out shell;
Inside and outside, she knew it well.
With many others, she seeks the light:
She knows not where she will sleep tonight.
A sweet, kind man, gentle as a lamb,
Knows the housing system is a sham:
He's been on a list for fifteen years.
Now he sheds those soft and silent tears
For a home that he has never known,
For knowing that he is not alone
In his search for somewhere to abide
Across this country so great and wide.
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What Does It Mean To be Homeless?
Tiffani Pontchartrain
What does it mean to be homeless?
I have no place to call my home.
What does it mean to be homeless?
Upon these streets, always I'll roam.
What does it mean to be homeless?
I sleep on a lonely street grate.
What does it mean to be homeless?
I'm bound by cruel twists of fate.
What does it mean to be homeless?
I wander 'round, from place to place.
What does it mean to be homeless?
I am lost, another disgrace.
What does it mean to be homeless?
There are few people I call friend.
What does it mean to be homeless?
When will my lonely journey end?
What does it mean to be homeless?
I must depend on gifts from you.
What does it mean to be homeless?
I sit here, 'neath skies gray or blue.
What does it mean to be homeless?
I know not what is peace or love.
What does it mean to be homeless?
Soon I'll join the angels above.
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