Police - Living On The Streets Poem by Paul Warren

I met him first in bad housing in Whyalla town
The family was four with two parents and a boy and girl we found
He was a large youth of 12 years sallow, uncouth and unkept
The father had been interviewed for incest with the 14 year old sister and yet
On examination the father was sterile and the allegations would not stick
The house they lived in was dirty, untidy and would make anyone sick

Years later when working in the Adelaide City square I saw him again
And he was living on the streets sleeping in abandoned places with no friends
He had bare feet, dirty clothes and a smell of musk in being unwashed
The family he had in Whyalla although not nurturing had been lost
And it would have been difficult for me to make a judgement call
Of what is better - the street or living in his family with no love at all

So petty theft was his occupation stealing to survive each different day
And when he was caught he would return and scratch cars in his way
When you looked into his eyes there was an emptiness and a hate
Of the world that didn't let him in or in a normal life to participate
What do you do in such circumstances where he wasn't wanted
And had never been able to learn skills for living as well provided.

© Paul Warren Poetry