Filthy Rags

Empty, isolated

a shell of what

I once was

lying on the sidewalk

in filthy rags

yearning for sustenance

someone who cares

belly growling in pain

sorrow and angst

fill the hollows.

Why am I here?

How have I sunk to

this bottomless pit?

Drinking beer

anesthetizes my reality

obliterates my misery

as I lie in my waste

a forgotten soul.

Will no one help me

give me a hand

offer me a job

grant me a sandwich

teach me some skills?

It begins to dawn

when I am coherent

that I must help

to save myself.

There’s no one else

I am alone.