The Ragged Man (Poetry) (standard:other, 290 words)
Author: Robert L. Revland	Added: Oct 26 2000	Views/Reads: 6074/3	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The story of a homeless man from a young man's point of view.

There’s a guy on the corner of 11th and 3rd 

Tall black man in patchwork clothes 

Standing there at night with an old coffee cup in his hand 

Asking for spare change, doesn’t mean any trouble 

Not one of those crazy homeless guys on dope 

I don’t think he was homeless, just poor, no job 

He had a family: two or three sons in their thirties 

I guess he didn’t get much help from them 

He just stands there, talking to anyone who will listen 

Watching the NYU students milling around 

The movie theater and Webster Hall 

I’d walk by, give him a few coins, maybe 35 cents if I had it on me 

He’d say “God bless you” and I’d just say it right back 

He was a mentor to me 

I didn’t want to end up like him 

But he was just a good man in a bad situation 

Could have done better if he had a head start 

Told me to do well in school, get a good education 

Or else I’d end up like him: fifty years old and out on the street 

I told him I had big dreams 

I’d make a million dollars and give him the world 

Get him a house 

Let him have a life 

Never would have really known anything if it wasn’t for him 

He made me want to get into politics 

Try and change things for guys like him 

I don’t see him around much anymore 

Hope he’s alright 

Hope he’s still around 

Still dreaming 

Still hoping 

Because he gave me my hopes and dreams 

I hope God listened to me 

Gave him the blessing he deserved 

Gave him a better life 

I sure hope I see him again. 


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