Unfortunate Soul Poem by Marianne Reninger

This is such an important poem. I am glad you wrote it Marianne. It rings true in my ears. I see this all the time, even in my small town. And every time I see one of those signs, multiple things go through my mind, as you describe. There's a small conflict of sorts that occurs in the mind with each interaction. Yes, equality should be a goal in all nations. This is a poem, that puts you in that situation once again....and you're not given the answer, but your given the opportunity to think...to see how this problem aligns in your conscience.

When I was working with the Camillus House in Miami, I was told by one man who spent considerable time on the street that loneliness is actually one of the most painful aspects of homelessness. Being surrounded by a city full of people who choose to not see you. To have no one to talk to while being surrounded by people rushing on to more important things. To be seen as less than human.

Its a cruel reality, to see those with sever mental health issues and addiction problems become the unwashed that society walk pass or fill them up with cement so the cracks don't show, I know I have seen people in need and at times either walk away or try to listen to them just to show there not ignored. The person speaking in your last stanza reminds me of a time many years ago, I was in a Wendy's with my grandmother and a women came in with a cardboard sign saying she was deaf and needed money, I was about to give her a toonie in my pocked when my grandmother stopped me and said she's lying she's probably a drug addict perhaps she was lying, but how desperate do you have to be to wind up like that. This poem reminds me of that. Stellar work, bringing up issues that some people are afraid or not interested to address.

The people who live in the shadows of life, the forgotten people but they could be you and me, we should always help people and feed our souls to change our attitude! Great write!

It almost becomes a gut-reaction, saying no.- -a habit. If your poem does nothing more than make us think twice the next time we have the opportunity to give, you have succeeded immeasurably. Well done.

I have always been amused and somewhat irritated by people that dismiss the person with the sign. It is one thing to not want to give and an entirely different thing to believe that we can presume to know what the person's story really is. Don't let him fool you they say but I am far too defensive and logical and will always demand to know how a person pretends to know that the individual is only pretending to be destitute. I give when I can, follow my gut and I would rather be wrong about reaching out to somebody than to be wrong and ignore them. Wonderful writing and observations on life.