A lost man

The building was empty
All that was left
Was a few old
Tell tale
Packets of chips
Empty of course

Of course the birds
And squirrrels left no crumbs

Up in the rafters
The wings flapped
Was it an owl or bird ?
He couldn’t see

The electricity had been
Turned off
After the past unpaying tenants
Had moved on
To another abandonment

Here he would stay the night
One night at least
Out of the howling wind

The cold wind
Had ripped his soul to its
Innermost cavity last night
As he lay under the bridge

Didn’t sleep
Just kept watch
Till his eyes shut
Then opened with each
Rustle or beer bottle thrown
In the river
By the other sad campers
Along the bank

The moon shone bright through
The window
And he sat
Huddled on an old mattress
With a smell of whisky and body odour

He wondered
When he would be kicked out
But for now opened up his
Backpack and opened up
A trusty can of Heinz baked beans
And a piece of day old bread
He saved from yesterday’s
Lunch

The peanut butter from the day before
Had made the bread a weird soft but hard
Peanut consistency
He didn’t mind
He was hungry as a wolf and would of eaten
Anything just to fill his
17 year old tummy

He gulped some water from his flask
And got out his torch and an extra jacket
And lay on the striped
Mattress
And In the foetal position
Fell asleep

That’s how they found him
The next day
At sunrise

The Salvation Army
Shone a torch
Through the old derelict
Buildings on East and West
And decided to do the last building
At the end
They walked in

Gently awoke Henry and told him
They had a bed and breakfast
If he would like to come
Of course after due consideration
Of about one second Henry
Nodded embarrassed by his state of
Unclean and unwashed appearance
Probably wishing they had blocked noses

They helped him up
He felt stiff from the cold night
And lack of food and warm blanket
And they helped
Him
To the church rescue mission

He turned back to the
Building
Hoping he’d never see it again
But saw a dove a white dove fly out
And he swore
He saw
Gods face
Appear
In the window
As In the face of Jesus

A long way away in
A city
His mother had said a prayer
For her runaway son
To be found
And helped as she sat with her
Early cuppa

Just as she said the prayer
A white dove
Sat at her window

She smiled

Henry smiled too

Things will work out
Said the Salvation Army officers
One day at a time

One prayer at a time

Reviews

[Jimmy Crapped Corn]

I've sat next to that river, and what the people around you during the daylight say, is all that gets you through the l9ng nights

[Julie McCarthy (juliespenhere)]

Thanks I appreciate that and your experiences

[Thomas W Case]

Powerful work. You paint this scene with vivid color.

[Julie McCarthy (juliespenhere)]

Thanks much appreciated

[Vol]

Julie,
Somehow they always do... I think of everyone who was in the middle of life two hundred years ago and think... nothing. They did what was sufficient to the day, and what that was is a list too long to contemplate, and we know nothing of it...
Vol

[Julie McCarthy (juliespenhere)]

Hi vol how are you well I hope and thanks for your insight and review

[Vol]

I AM, Julie, thank you for asking... and you ae as well in your mid autumn!

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree dear Julie.
(Things will work out
Said the Salvation Army officers
One day at a time

One prayer at a time)
A beautiful and wonderful poem. I liked the wisdom shared my dear friend.
Coyote

[Julie McCarthy (juliespenhere)]

Thanks John I appreciate hope you are keeping well

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome dear Julie. I hope you are doing well and you are enjoying the days of Spring.