Those who walk past the homeless

Homelessness is an open secret we all know it’s there because we see it everyday. Politicians will act as if they care whilst pursuing their own ambition. The silent saints of this world are out there helping to feed and clothe those who have hit the hard times for no reward other than they feed their conscience. There’s never enough money to help charities that try and house the homeless. There’s plenty of cash around to fund military action abroad where the results of such action leave lots of people homeless.

Why is it that people in well paid jobs who were lucky enough to have parents that taught them how to get on in life treat those in less fortunate positions with such contempt? Is it okay to despise the homeless? I find the attitude in the UK to people on the street is pretty saddening. Most people walk by deliberately turning their head away from the tired eyes of a beggar, why turn away surely such an act implies that your conscience is being forced by your heart to ignore a fellow human being.

Why do some people assume that being homeless means you’re worthless? I’ve observed homeless folk from a distance and watched their attempts to acquire money for food. I witnessed people in suits ignore them, women sneering at them and young guys insult them and I’ve never seen a homeless person retaliate to such animosity. What would happen if a homeless guy verbally abused a ‘normal’ person?

I have experienced homelessness myself although I wasn’t hardened to that kind of life and I didn’t spend a long time on the streets but the short time I did woke me up to the crap that those of us out of luck have to put up with. Homeless has a stigma and the general view of society seems to be that being Homeless means;

You’re weak

You’re lazy

You’re a drug addict

You’re an alcoholic

You’re a loser

You sponge off the Govt

Even if any of the above were accurate do people stop to think of the reasons why such terms are slapped on to those who are down in the hole? Isn’t there another way of looking at the homeless in a more positive way?

For example;

They’re human

They have a heart

They are independent

They are resourceful

They are determined

They give a shit about other people

They will share what they have

You see I think homeless people have the moral high ground over those who pass superior judgement upon them because they show a humility and kindness amongst fellow homeless that the selfish wealthy sometimes don’t. One of the rare occasions where I lost my temper was a long time ago when I was in my teens and I was walking along a street about 11pm and I saw an old homeless guy who was probably in his early 70’s sitting on a wall with his hand out hoping someone would maybe drop a coin in it. Before I got to him two guys of a similar age to me walked past and pushed the guy over the wall and laughed as he struggled to get up. I climbed over the wall to help the man up and he was crying and he looked at me with such sad eyes and said ‘is this what my life has come to? I gave him what little cash I had and ran after the two guys and beat them up. I’m not a tough guy by any stretch and I cringe when I think that I resorted to violence but I was young and didn’t posses the reasoning skills that would enable me to humiliate these two thugs with words.

I worked for a charity for awhile helping out at a hostel and the people who were lucky enough to get a room were so grateful and such warm human beings. These were people who had no money yet would always pool what little they had to get birthday presents for each other.

I don’t believe a single man or woman chooses to be homeless. Circumstances conspire against people and once the web of despair is woven it is difficult to get out of the trap. If you have no home you’re unlikely to get a job, if you have no job. You might be entitled to some help from the Government as long as you have a home but if you don’t have accommodation you can’t claim benefits which means you can’t pay rent which means you’re homeless.

Family break ups, tough upbringing, no mentoring or role models, unemployment and misfortune are the kind of things that put people on a path to nowhere. Yet I wonder if any of these unfortunate events are ever considered by those who look down on the homeless?

Isn’t it a ridiculous contradiction that soldiers who fought for their country can be homeless?

What does that say about how politicians and voters view the importance of such misfortune?

Wherever I am will always offer money to a homeless person and I don’t care what they spend it on. I can’t walk past and ignore. I don’t want a medal for such an act I just don’t understand how people can judge someone less fortunate in such a cold way. The beauty of it all is I know there are plenty of people out there who care.

The half baked moon

Sat on an overcooked sky

As it watched over this world

With its one lazy eye

The silhouettes and shadows

The coffins and the cute

The tripped up drunken metaphors

Chewing up what is mute

Drifting clouds a weeping

As gravity shows no fear

And the settlers are not sleeping

And nobody is coming near

Homeless isn’t airtight

Lives are never sealed

You can close your eyes all you want

But you will never conceal

A yawning sun

Behind curtains drawn

Slowly waking up

To being born

The silhouettes and shadows

Sow the seeds of knitted flesh

An army of paradox’s

Marching awkward in this mess

The wind is on inspection

Maybe god has sent a ghost

It has no sense of direction

And the guesswork of a host

Who pays the dues of fortune

Who created this moral debt

Whose wolf barks out at the moon

To make it easier to forget

Homeless isn’t airtight

Lives are never sealed

There are no doors for you to shut

Or an axe for you to wield

Life makes up every bed

Not knowing what is fair

If you are homeless in your head

You can be homeless anywhere

©JMcN2010