Stranger

And so we meet
yet another homeless stranger
chucked out on the street.

We see the makeshift face,
spot the lopsided grin,
and begin to imagine
what’s going on within

(though we can never truly know
what it’s like
to reside in someone else’s skin).

But what noble ideals,
what lofty thoughts,
what broken dreams,
what petty grudges
might still live there?

We try not to stare.

Some people’s lives are rubbish,
we think. We wouldn’t wish
a life like that on anyone.


Everybody Hurts