Sadness On The Street Poem by Kirsty Richards

I saw a lonely man today just sitting on the street
Ragged clothes, a dirty face, no shoes upon his feet
And as I knelt beside him he looked up and gave a smile
'You're the only one who's noticed in a long, long while'
The man he was a soldier, he'd risked his life for me
But now he's old and withered, noone seems to see
I took his hand and thanked him for all the good he'd done
He took my hand and asked me if at last his time had come.
A tear rolled down his cheek and he looked me in the eye
'I'm a lonely, lonely man my child but life's not passed me by
I've done the time, I've seen the show, given all my hope away
Please pray for this to be my final day'

I carried on my journey and it didn't take too long
Before I heard the gentle voice that filled the air with song
I'd heard the stories many times of how she sings alone
I wondered if it took her back to when she sang at home
People just walk through her shadow, or laugh as they go by
But I knew deep inside their must have been a reason why
Her stage was just an empty park, her listeners were the birds
And as i wondered closer I began to hear the words
'I sit and sing for you my lord, I'm trying not to cry
I'm a lonely, lonely girl my lord but life's not passed me by
I've done the time, I've seen the show, given all my hope away
I'm praying this will be my final day'

My sorrow changed to tears as I continued down the street
For there I saw two children with rubbish round their feet
In their eyes their was no sparkle, on their faces empty smiles
Worn but not defeated as they scavenge through the piles
I asked if they were hungry but they didn't say a word
They carried on their searching as if they hadn't heard
Maybe they weren't hungry, maybe they don't want advice
Or maybe they're just not too used to people being nice
Such innocents mistreated, what on earth could they have done?
They're just lonely, lonely children who don't know how to have fun
They've done their time, they still have hope so let them find a way
I'm praying this won't be their final day