The Miami of Canada

Awhile back my shallow soul of an ass was traveling in the "Windy City." I was lucky enough to be staying at a friend's parent's house in Oak Park for free. Every night I had to decide whether I wanted to practice a lil autoerotica asphyxiation or go out into the cursed streets of Chicago and get drunk and maybe catch a band perform. My decision, unfortunately, was usually the latter. After the show and drunken debauchery, I would stumble around downtown until the sun came up.
During these stumbles, I would run into the people of the night, mainly fellow drunks and the homeless. There were threats of violence, good conversations, and dope deals. I happened to get ripped off a couple of times during these transactions, but that didn't bother me much because they needed the money more than I did and I would probably spend it on useless bullshit anyways, so I guess it was a fair trade. Then, I would take the long route home on the EL Train back to Oak Park.
On my way back, there would be homeless people sleeping on the train. It was a hopeless scene that made me cry many nights for these broken and luckless souls. What was even shittier about their situation was that they would get kicked off the train after the security guards caught onto them. Then, they would have to find somewhere to sleep on the unforgiving streets. I'd often walk past them at night when it was snowing or raining and wonder how courageous these people must be and how come I could not do more to help them out. I know I could not live on the streets and I am very fortunate because I have a very supporting family, but they don't have anybody. They are lost, abandoned, and forgotten and my heart goes out to all of them. One day, I hope, things turn around for them and they get off the streets and live a fulfilling and blissful life.

Watching the Deserted Down

To look and see their pain, agony, tears,
is to look at human life.
I cannot bear to even glance.
I always have to turn the other way and
hide my own tears of sorrow.

Where can the abandoned go?

They sleep on trains throughout the night,
but often get kicked off
because "filth" can only travel so far in the city.
Then, they are left to wander and search
for a new place to sleep
on the piss filled streets.

They are left alone,
no family, no friends,
alone
walking an endless mile in a lost life.

Helpless,
I wish I could something, anything,
besides stare.

There should be only happiness and hope,
instead
all that's left is poison and despair.
What a crying shame,
all of us are to blame.
Maybe someday it will all turn around,
who knows the sun may shine for everyone tomorrow?

You and I know
tomorrow will be nothing, but rain.
The deserted will drown in it.
And I can only stare,
stare at all of them
with a broken heart
and nothing to offer.