Nobody Saw Him Poem by Gert Strydom

(after Stevie Smith)

Nobody saw him dying
when he was moaning
but still he was lying
in the park as a forsaken thing

where the ambulance did him drop

through many a day through the dark
he was homeless and always on his own,
always somewhere in that park,
even still right there, when the last visitor was gone

nobody did at him stop

while he was moaning full of pain
where the elements in winter he was weathering
and for weeks right there he did remain
while birds did peck around him and did sing.

[Reference:"Not waving but drowning" by Stevie Smith.Poet's note:This poem was inspired by a article in the local newspaper, "The Springs Advertiser, " entitled:"Left to die."]

© Gert Strydom