Creatures Of The Night Poem by Susan Williams
Creatures Of The Night
Creatures of the Night
.
iron grates over the street drains
roofs for the poor
refuge for the creatures of the night
darting across intersections
shying from the hungry grinning grills of the eighteen wheelers
hungry for something besides butterflies and the splatter of bugs
dark shadows flickering and glimmering
through the glare of headlights and the red glow of tailights
slipping from darkness to darkness pooled in shopping centers
slipping from darkness to darkness across the parking lots
with their shopping carts and their shoppers
with their corporate logos and loading docks
automatic doors sliding open
checkout is the wish tree
for manna from heaven
but not for the
lost ones
coming out from under the streets
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~©2017 Susan Williams
Poignant write with a view to various segments of society today. I appreciate your penning to the poor the 'creatures of the night' cutely. May God bless them. I want to quote some lines here... . slipping from darkness to darkness across the parking lots with their shopping carts and their shoppers with their corporate logos and loading docks automatic doors sliding open checkout is the wish tree for manna from heaven but not for the lost ones coming out from under the streets This is my revisiting to this poem. Thanks for sharing this touching one.
I am overwhelmed by the favorable comments about this poem. I was trying a different style with it, an abrupt, slice of life type of snapshots, and gritty exposure of their day in day out life. It pleases me so much to hear that you've returned for a second reading of it. Thank you for your encouragement.
Poverty and homelessness was never something I saw much of during my formative years yet today it has currently become more of an issue. Now I often see people living in their cars, sleeping in doorways on the street or large families living in a garage due to, poverty and unemployment, mental health issues, emotional trauma and addictions. Your poem draws attention to the stark harsh reality of these unfortunate people out there in the cold while many of us can enjoy entering a warm supermarket and buy delicious food to enjoy in our beautiful homes.
I was so shocked- stunned- horrified when I saw homeless people lying on the sidewalks in Los Angeles on the way to the bus station... people just walked by them... stepped over them... and I wondered how such a thing could be... I was young then but I must admit- I still wonder how such a thing could be.
Powerfully expressed narrative on the divisions in our society. The people underground living lives of maximum desperation must conquer their despair as well as their poverty. When will they revolt against the injustice, or are they born to pacifism?
Perhaps they beat their head against the indifference in society to the point that all they have left is lassitude... or perhaps a hunger that doesn't fuel revolution or even sit-ins... or perhaps they wound up in the position they are in because, as you suggest [purely as a hypothesis ] they are just born to pacifism, to not struggle against odds, any kind of odds. Or all of the above... but even if they have run out of energy, couldn't we supply a little of that for them, just enough that they can see a light at the end of their tunnel? The poor have been with us always... I hope that doesn't mean their situation is hopeless. Thank you, Daniel, for your intelligent comments- I always look forward to what you have to say... always!
Haunting images Susan and a gripping account of the cold bleak starkness of these poor creatures lives. Words like shying, darting, slipping, really emphasise the point. How dare we call ourselves civilised when some poor unfortunate lies without shelter on our streets. Every homeless person is some mother's child. Excellent thought-provoking poem full marks.I live in the wilderness and rarely visit the city but am always shocked by the conditions of the homeless when I do. This is a story that needs to be told. Thank you Susan.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/28/2024 2:37:38 PM # 1.0.0.1119
You may not know but this has been on my favorites list for a long time, your poetry is so good, your comments on mine and others poetry are better than the poems we post.... what a credit you are to poetry Susan, and to poemhunter, I for one thank you! ! !
I am sorry it takes me so long to respond to everyone's comments- -but sometimes my connection to PH is so poor that the site won't stay on a poem but 2 seconds before it flips to another poem, and it often takes me 20 minutes to a half-hour to get my response to post or to get a comment posted on your poetry. I am getting irritated at PH but I am still vastly interested in reading the poetry of others.
It is my belief that the highest compliment that can be given on PH is to put a poem on our fav list so that we will read the poem again and again. Thank you for enjoying my comments on your poetry- you have such unique topics expressed in unique ways that you are a steady source of good reads to profit from! !