The Invisible Man

A crow takes flight with a loud cry

Dark shadows circle against a leaden sky

A bitter cold wind bites both man and beast

From faraway lands in the frozen North-East

A warning of more severe weather on the way

On a grey and sullen, cold winter’s day

Huddled and shivering in a dark doorway

A lonely old man now broken and grey

Cold, frozen and chilled to the bone

Crumbled blanket for a bed on cold stone

Torn and damp, no more than a rag

A few precious possessions in a plastic bag

Once a proud man now just a shell

Now just another tragic story to tell

Once a mother’s heart filled with pride

Another human being fallen by the wayside

Betrayed and discarded, like an old rubbish pile

Another statistic on a government file

Same old man on a busy street

Hungry and cold, nothing to eat

Almost invisible to the passing crowd

Like a dark shadow in a darker shroud

As if from another world or different space

Just another person without a face

An indifferent world just passes by

Oblivious to his heartbroken and silent cry

Too busy to see the human behind the mask

To stop and look, listen or to ask

They do not know or even see

Before them this Human tragedy

A little child stops and shyly looks up

Then places a coin in the old man’s cup

Memories surface of another man’s life

He too had a fine home and a loving wife

And a beautiful daughter with golden hair

He bows his head and wipes away a tear

Frowning faces and judgmental eyes

Too busy to hear his silent cries

Some irritated and even annoyed

While others look away and try to avoid

A mixture of fear, embarrassment and pity

Such is life on the streets of our city

c/ Denis Murphy 13 Jan 2017