Ben's Poem

Ben is a resident of our Veterans' Transitional Housing program, which provides housing, job training, support services and more to homeless veterans. Click here to watch a testimonial he gave us about his experiences at Volunteers of America. Below is a poem he wrote entitled "Homeless Walk the Streets".








"Homeless Walk the Streets"

DAY & NIGHT HOMELESS WALK THE STREETS

MANIC-DEPRESSIVES, SCHIZOPHRENICS IN SHEETS

SOME LOOKING FOR A HANDOUT!

OTHERS, WONDER WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

SOME HAVE FALLEN, MOSTLY, AGAINST THEIR WILL

OTHERS, WILL GO LOWER & LOWER STILL

“THERE’S A FINE LINE BETWEEN GENIUS AND INSANITY”***

TO LATE TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS SUCH AS VANITY

WHAT TO DO? WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

TIRED OF THE DRUGS, THE LIQUOR & THE BEER

SOME LOOKING FOR A BETTER LIFE, A BETTER WAY!

OTHERS, WONDER IF THEY’LL SEE THE NEXT DAY?

SOME LOOK AT THE HOMELESS AS IF THEIR DIRT

OTHERS, KNOW THE HOMELESS FEEL & HURT

WHAT OF THE CHILDREN, THE LAME & THE SICK

DO WE CHASE THEM AWAY, OR HIT E’M WITH A STICK?

WHAT IF IT WAS YOUR BROTHER, SISTER OR YOU?

THEN WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

SOME LOOKING FOR REDEMPTION, A WAY BACK!

OTHERS, WONDER IF THEY CAN RECOVER FROM CRACK?

SOME WANT TO BELIVE THERE’S ANOTHER CHANCE

OTHERS, WANT TO SEEK HELP, BUT LOOK ASKANCE

MOST HOMELESS WANT SOMETHING, FOOD OR MONEY

STILL SOME YEARN FOR THE LOST LAND OF ‘MILK & HONEY’

THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE WILL’N TO GIVE LOVE,

TO UNDERSTAND, TO EMPATHIZE, TO BE A FRIEND

BUT STILL THE HOMELESS LOOK, WONDER & YEARN

SOME LOOKING TO BE UNDERSTOOD, FOR LOVE & FRIENDSHIP

OTHERS, WONDER IF ANYONE CARES, IF THERE IS A GOD?

***“There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line” -OSCAR LEVANT