Long stringy grey hair,
scrawny legs, pin cushion feet,
booze to sustain him
Kept to a small room
TV flickered, thoughts wandered,
wan eyes unseeing
He beat odds, fifty
years abusing his body, worn mind diminished
Till bad decisions
ended in eviction one
day after Christmas
Fear’s grip pierced the fog,
frantic calls to friends, doctors
finding place takes time
Friend’s home for two days,
couch a few more, some nights in
shelters that had space
Who knows other nights,
with daytime scattered, till six
weeks later, surfaced
Emergency room
treated heart a couple days,
but not the body
Back to streets, a free
ticket to go far away,
anywhere but here
Eighteen-hour bus ride
turned to four days, tracking through
blizzard’s aftermath
Could not walk. Angel
gave two peaceful weeks until
Death’s presence chased him
Broken, forgotten
body, spirit slipped away
with not one witness
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