on the bridge
leading out of town
across the james river,
bumper chasing bumper
dogs sniffing each others
exhaust to see if they
are friendly, the man
stands
his red stockcap
balancing a bottle of
moutain dew, upright
right in the middle
of his head & he smiles
& waves & some times
dances, entertaining
himself and us, with
his antics
he has no job & life
pretty much fits in
the grey PUMA gym
bag at his feet, but
every day he greets
us with the knowledge
he is homeless, and
perhaps he wonders
when we will realise
we are as well
though we try to
build one, with all
our hard labor, as if
it will be here forever
& his bottle of pop
sits steady, even as
he shuffles away
to no...where,
with no...thing but
a grey PUMA bag
smiling & waving
i, less entertained
than jealous,
in this traffic
heading some...where.
Imperfect Prose
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130 comments:
Love your word play...So meaningful
powerful word play friend...much to consider.
We are on the same thought process today...I can definately picture this man, I'm beginning to see him everywhere...
e-z come e-z go
Very thought-provoking - and brilliant! ;)
You gave him dignity in finding your common ground. Nicely done.
It's all a wisp, a vapor trail, a braided rope made of sand; individual moments make a bracelet of time and memory. This moment, this Now, this is all there really is.
The man with the pop bottle seems to know, as do you.
i often wonder who they are, or were.
really excellently crafted!
Wise thoughts. That man is all of us.
Great writing, if not perfect, it sure is close.
I have a friend who never passes a homeless person without turning around and bringing them a fastfood meal...never cash, but food. Very touching...more than I do, I will say that.
My first instinct when I see the homeless is to look away. Truth be told, it is also my second and third instinct as well. It is so much easier for me to keep my hands clean than to get involved. I try to convince myself that my charitable donations are enough. So, why do I still feel so convicted? You can probably guess why my friend.
yes, we are all home... less. heading into the future with hopes of a better life. thanks for really fun wordplay.
"It's not what you don't have...it's what you do with what you do have." Kitty Bartholomew (said in an entirely different context but fitting here, as well, I think)
He seems to have inner peace, and that's beautiful.
food for thought ......
bv...he sure is...i see him sometimes walking the sides of the road with that bottle balanced on his head...he must have great balance which makes me wonder about what came before...
Wonderful stuff, Brian. I loved the image of the Mountain Dew...the one steady thing.
Three homeless men came to our church this Sunday, and I chatted with two of them. We gave them shopping bags of food and they gave us a sense of sheer joy. I think we received the far greater gift.
How can an image both break and swell the heart?
You use words in an ingenious way. It was a thought provoking read!
Reflective today. on gratitude.
♥namaste♥
made me feel home...less for a moment
i like the no...where, no...thing
another great write brian...and now i grab my PUMA bag and go to bed..
Don't you wonder sometimes in this world of ours how we have so many homeless people?
I like that one.
Yes, your word plays are always have a great deal of meaning behind them. Wish the words flowed out so easily like they do for you, Brian!! Have a great evening!
Hugs,
Coreen
So much depth in this piece Brian...we can learn so much from children and from people that through their adversity and poverty understand what they truly have.
I have never heard homelessness sound so appealing.. thanks
it kind of makes you wonder, who's the homeless one? love your thoughts and your style
thank you
james river...we have james river around here very popular for the campers
"bumper chasing bumper
dogs sniffing each others
exhaust to see if they
are friendly" -- great!
Nice one, Brian.
Cheers!
Wonderful imagery...
"bumper chasing bumper
dogs sniffing each others
exhaust to see if they
are friendly,"
These words make me wonder about this man, what came before the bridge and the gym bag and the bottle balanced and, they make me long for home.
May I venture to say that he is much happier or at the very least more content than most of those that pass him each day???
Well captured.
perhaps he wonders
when we will realise
we are as well.
Now that has me thinking.
Thanks for the insightful writing, Brian!
"Less entertained that jealous" -- I like that!
I'm feeling you here...totally feeling you..
"he greets
us with the knowledge
he is homeless, and
perhaps he wonders
when we will realise
we are as well..."
It's all in the attitude Brian. I get it, but freedom always looks better on someone else.
Kat
Now this made me think!Like the word play.Another learn for me.
So many homeless people around me,too.Sometimes I look at them and wonder what life they had before.Sad reality of present times.
Btw,sorry for the mistake.And for the info,too.Most of all thanks for the support,always.Owe you lots and one shot ,too.
As always, your words create vivid pictures. Always love clicking over here.
Elizabeth
http://www.justfollowingjesus.com
My husband can not pass a homeless person without stopping and giving them a buck or two. He was homeless as a child-- All these years later, he still feels the sting. You really captured the moment with this one. Nice job.
I'm back from vacation (again) and off to catch up on your older posts. Hope all is well with you and your family.
j
It is so easy to judge... Props to you for considering!
It is a self made rat race, isn't it? We have sort of dropped and do with only what we need and have very little pressure. We were always taught to strive for more things, to work hard and accumulate possessions and more and more money, otherwise you are looked down upon. But I tell you the view is nice down here.
During god weather in PDX there is a man in a white suit that sells roses and sings. Beats heck out of a "Got no job" sign.
Very happy guy- carefree at the moment-
and why not if he ain't cold, wet, hungry
love the mountain dew- Good One!
fabulous write! and fabulous knowing :)
"and
perhaps he wonders
when we will realise
we are as well...
i, less entertained
than jealous,
in this traffic
heading some...where."
You can sure paint a picture!
Sometimes all we exactly need is a grey Puma bag...
Profound moments, Brian.
then the light changes...
Aloha from Waikiki :)
Comfort Spiral
><}}(°>
very thought provoking. i always wonder what their story is...we are seeing more and more in NYC...
xxoo
a toss of the dice and it can be us --
beautiful and sobering
I think I dated him a few years back. His smile and wave were always so tempting
Brian,
I thought of your Puma bag man today as I drove past my Puma bag man and his dog, as I do each Monday and Wednesday, twice each day.
I think about the story he has to tell. I think about your guy's story and how you began to tell it, to give him voice and I am thinking there is something really profound, something bigger than I can put my finger on.... in that.
Cheers,
Kara
You always make me think!
Nicely done. I like your idea that we are all homeless.
I'd wonder about where he got the balance as well--seems he has a story to tell.
great one, Brian! My favorite line is: "...he is homeless, and
perhaps he wonders
when we will realise
we are as well"
I once heard a guy say that he never felt more peace in his life than during the time he could fit everything that he owned in the bed of his pick up truck.
Maybe there is something to that command (and I paraphrase) "sell everything you own and follow me." Makes me wonder as does your imperfect prose here. Loved it!
Homeless and happy, or is it an act? I really enjoy your descriptions of even the smallest details, Brian.
All on our way to some where..
The wisdom of the tiniest moments. Love his little jig...and your perfect poetry.
Quite nice although we do make assumptions. Being in Europe was an eye opener, there are many beggars and homeless in France who COULD access support if they wanted to, they simply don't, they like the lifestyle. Although I wouldn't say that's the norm. Wish I had somewhere to go.
wow, mesmerize by this post.. so meaningful to me...
hello Brian, i am glad that you found my blog. i thank you for hopping in. Anyway here is my other blog if in case you wanna see it..
http://greenbite14.blogspot.com
As you sit stressed in traffic the homeless man is enjoying himself and smiling.
We all head somewhere . . .
But some do pause to listen to the stories which can miss us while we keep heading somewhere.
Joy always,
Susan
Brian, that early line...
"bumper chasing bumper
dogs sniffing each others
exhaust to see if they
are friendly..."
is a jewel.
I loved this, Brian. I could see him clearly and his message, too. Great writing.
I know a guy that makes about 40-80 bucks a day panhandling!!
He is homeless...
He likes his beer...
He doesn't even own a Puma Bag!
And yet he smiles. A good reminder, Brian.
I always enjoy the way you see the unseen in the events you watch and the way you find an inspiration in something others barely notice.
Despite his troubles he might be happier than most of us, right.;)
Have a lovely day Brian,
xo
wave back at him from me next time, ok? As a thank you for these thoughts
Brilliant!
Brian found this post full of wisdom. Blessings.
You know this guy, or at least of him? His "Title?"
Way to see the best there could be though. I smiled through the whole thing.
Imaginative and thought provoking, Brian.
Homeless or root less?
This is fabulous, and you are soooo right we are all homeless...but this guy's ahead he knows to dance regardless...bravo Brian on this piece, it is magnificent
"bumper chasing bumper
dogs sniffing each others" I think this is one of the best and most amusing similes I've read in a long time: funny, sensual and multi-layered.
Excellent... signs and portents are all around us...
Beautiful!
Fabulously moving! And food for thought too.
We worry about it everyday...those of us with responsibilities.
I think I'm depressed.
Brian, Brian, Brian, Homeless all are we. I look in my Puma bag often to see what's important to me. Thanks so much.
between nowhere and now here is just a space - great poem!
You're a poet, through and through... Enjoyed it
Im glad it got better past the mountain dew Brian,lol.As you know I got 2 wisdom teeth pulled the other day,my teeth cringed when you mentioned that LOL.It was a nice read,the man was very much like alot of people now.I visited New York a few years back and I was shocked to see so many homeless people.I mean its one thing to hear about them and see a few on the news,but up close and personal it made me sad.
Have a great weekend!
loved the last few lines. :)
sometimes too much happiness really makes people jealous.
trisha
mydomainpvt.wordpress.com
brian, your writing about humanity has laser like precision! beautiful, sad...and still so beautiful.
Truely powerful Brian!:)
i love the wondering when we'll realize we're homeless, and relate as well to the being jealous w/ him content (? perhaps ?) w/ LESS. thanks for the write, the think
This made me smile. It's sad, but at the same time, I had to smile at his "antics", dancing, waving, balancing his soda. Almost as if he's unburdened by all the somethings and somewheres most of us stress over.
~Jen
"dogs sniffing each others
exhaust"
"and
perhaps he wonders
when we will realise
we are as well"
I am entertained!
but
every day he greets
us with the knowledge
he is homeless, and
perhaps he wonders
when we will realise
we are as well
shivers, brian. so, so true. i won't be able to stop thinking about this all day. thanks so much for linking, friend. e.
profound thoughts on life and humankind in a brief roadside moment. you captured the moment so well.
This was the post that made hesitant to link, feeling my post was a Disney film at Cannes. Truly. So well written I was speechless. Thanks for these words, and for your comment. It was appreciated.
absolutely amazing... i love this! we ARE all homeless, aren't we? and perhaps, he is more 'at home' than any of us. wonderful use of words and imagery.
There is so much pathos in this one. The metaphor of the precariously perched bottle is beautiful!
oh. these are my favorite words of today. as it paints perfectly a lot of the thinking i've done in my home-less, pilgrimage of a life.
makes my heart long.
makes me want to shed some of the so many things that encumber.
I seriously am going to print this one...
amy in peru
Hi Brian
We are back :)
We try it to blog again !!!
Thanks for your concern and sweet words ...
((hugs))
Kareltje =^.^-
Anya
Hi! Brian...
Brian, here goes a couple of words that come to my mind after reading your post...one paycheck away, homelessness, hope, reflecting, living out of a [puma] bag.
Thanks, for sharing!
This very thought-provoking post with your readers too.
DeeDee :-/
Jesus, this is a good one Brian! (not that any of your others suck, of course.) :)
It is all an illusion yes, our "homes." Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and all that.
Bravo!
xo
I now have joined the jobless after so many years of a schedule and deadlines and commitments. It feels so good. I don't have a Puma bag but a sea bag that I take for my weekend getaways. I am a happy man.
Awesome imagery. I could actually see him--powerful message there.
striking a cord tonight. this time of year...always so grateful and aware of the tremendous blessing of it all. this is not my home. this washes fresh over me tonight.
a person can learn a lot...like how to live...from a person less fortunate :) Great writing, as usual.
I love it
so many people ask who but how many take the time to ask him or walk in his shoes
A very good friend has been homeless - I envy him he is a survivor
Thanks Bri for hitting on so many levels
sad but well conceived.
how true...home is not a house, unless we make it home; home is where our soul is!!
Everyone has a story . . . I've wondered about a woman we've seen around . . . and then she disappeared. If only we'd think to step out of our box more.
Thank you for sharing . . . this is my first time joining in.
"dogs sniffing each others
exhaust" - made me smile
"life
pretty much fits in
the grey PUMA gym
bag" - sad in a way but true
Great reminder that nothing we build out of bricks and wood lasts forever.
perhaps he wonders
when we will realise
we are as well
Excellent and true and raw and real. Well done, B.
I love this. This is your week for seeing beyond the outer packaging.
And my week for going off-topic apparently. But one line in your poem sent me here, and I just gotta. Check this out. ;-)
Ultimately, I suppose, we own nothing.
My brother has been this man. This cuts close to home. You said it well. {Thank you for your kind comment.}
I was homeless once but just for a short time and at least I had a car to live out of and it wasn't winter. Still it was very hard and scarey. It is hard for me to see a homeless person without getting tears or trying to do something to help them. It's probabaly good that I don't live in a big city. :) Good words Brian. I've missed visiting you here. Happy weekend to you and yours. XX
Thanks Bri
moonie smiles
oh thanks for the inspiration
I don't envy anyone their homelessness, but I envy a degree of thinglessness. Most of us have way more stuff than anybody really needs. I'm in the process of trying to divest myself of a lot of mine. I long for the freedom and simplicity of fewer possessions. Everything about our lives is transient, except for that which is eternal.
homelessness can be entertaining? Maybe, as he has no bills to worry about. And he has friends who would share crumbs with him that he'll not go hungry. Your take is great!
The details you use help to create a visual we all recognize. Excellent response to the prompt.
Fabulous take on the prompt -- and great imagery.
Envy the one who is homeless... no.
Envy that place where no-thing holds onto me... maybe.
thanks for this -- very provocative.
Louise G.
Wow, you have really caught something with this - the difference between him and me: he knows he's homeless... So much of life - the security of life as we know it - is based on faulty thinking on our part, not to mention hopes, wishes, and belief systems that comfort us with thoughts that an imaginary or arbitrary us-them boundary will keep anything bad from happening to us.
With 120 comments don't imagine you need one more, but had to say the parade of images in this poem were especially alive, even dast I say it, Rabelesian? Anyway, that connection with the freedom that comes from ceasing to care at all about the things most of us carry around like a giant dead weight every day. Liked it very much.
his burden is great
yet he is light...
and he dances
to lessen ours
Bri, you made me cry <3 I want to buy him a coffe :( This is what poetry is about massive meaning and getting it through to people. You make it seem easy. You're amazing! <3<3
I liked the 'grey PUMA bag' It sort of gives the homeless in your poem an identity, where they have none.
Powerful words, powerful thoughts, home of the unknown address, less belongings, still human.
Lovely piece, very meaningful. So many people, so many stories...and how many times do we actually stop to consider them? Unique portrayal.
'perhaps he wonders
when we will realise
we are as well'
beautifully put together Brian, as usual.
wisdom wrapped in beauty of poetry ... wonderful, Brian!
perfectly exquisite. Beautiful words.
Ah Brian. Beautiful....
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