In a fractured moment,
You
Have decided
Who I am.
You
Have assumed my fate,
And deemed me
Unnecessary.
Perhaps without realizing,
You switch sidewalks
To distance yourself
From my unkempt hair
And my change cup.

With a fleeting glance,
You turn me in to all sorts
Of creatures
Of demons
Of lowlifes.
You pass, hugging your children close
For I am the unknown
The abnormality
The grab bag of fears
But I once had a daughter,
So I understand.

If you’d taken the time to ask,
You would find that I am simply
A man,
Down on his luck
You’d hear of fears, hopes, and deeply-buried dreams
Collecting dust
And you would see
The only differences between us
Are a few layers of dirt
And a shattered spirit.