The Old Priest Poem by David McLansky

Kindness has no earthly pension;
They shake your hand with hesitation;
(Who is this fool who gave so much,
Lacking carfare for the bus?)
They watch you limping, off you go,
Then its back to business, rightly so;
They reset their minds to accumulation,
Not for them such humiliation:
A cup of tea by poor-stoked coals;
An army blanket full of holes;
A hard backed chair in a drafty room,
And silent prayers youll be taken soon.