The Experiment
I had often wondered what it might be
like,
Feeling hopeless with nowhere to go,
Left standing alone on a cold
city street,
Without warmth from the December snow.
My parents had always taken great care,
Making
certain that I'd do well in life,
By showering me with love and
devotion,
And lessons when coping with strife.
There was always hugs and kisses,
Warm blankets
and a story at night,
In the morning we sat down to breakfast,
With a
prayer that our day would be right.
On this morning I wanted to experience,
What our
homeless on the street must feel,
So I dressed myself in worn out
clothes,
Left my house without having a meal.
With a sign that read, Please Help Me,
And
shivering from the winter wind,
On a busy corner I stood alone,
Waiting
for compassion to begin.
I received many glances from strangers,
Amidst
laughter that I heard from some,
One man even pointed and mocked me,
And
called me a no good bum!
As the heat of my emotions took over,
And my
heart began filling with shame,
At the lack of love and compassion,
That
was shown as I played out my game.
With ears and hands that were freezing,
And
numbness taking over my toes,
Many hours from standing on the corner,
I
had learned all I wanted to know.
Tears flowed freely as I walked away,
But halted
from a tug on my sleeve,
Turning I was faced with the eyes of a
child,
Saying, "Mister, this scarf you will need".
