doogiewray (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} doogiewray) wrote,@ 2007-03-11 13:24:00 |
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| Entry tags: | all souls, poetry |
The Spirituality of Homelessness?
This morning we had a guest preacher who talked about homeless people (Our congregation recently entered into a partnership with others to use our old building as a daytime drop-in center).
While she was talking, I remembered this poem by James Kavanaugh. On the whole, James Kavanaugh’s “poetry” (now) drives me crazy. Many of his “poems” seem (to me) rather self-indulgent and his (in fact, most) blank verse drives me crazy these days. As I get older, it seems that my compass of “acceptable” poetry is getting smaller and smaller. Give me a great Sonnet any day. Anyhow, I looked this one up and thought I'd post it here.
Anyhow, if anyone is reading this, please let me know whether you think this poem might be inspirational to somebody or whether it’s total garbage (it makes the homeless look like they chose this way of Life).
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
(James Kavanaugh)
Sometimes in the early morning hours,
When I walk the streets and watch the vagrants
Rise from parks and curbs and deserted buildings,
When I see them squint leisurely into the sun,
And hustle up a meal for a few quarters begged
at the corner,
I wonder if they aren’t closer to life than I am,
I have a hard time seeing Christ racing for
a commuter train,
Or Bhuddha grabbing lunch at the automat.
I can’t see St. Francis fevrishly selling commodities,
Or Ghandi making short term loans at 18 percent.
I wonder if I wasn’t born fifty years too soon,
Or a hundred years too late.
Most of all I wonder if the street people
Eating what they’ve got,
Wearing what they can,
Going where they want,
Aren’t a whole lot closer to life than the rest of us.
(My own marginalia after this piece reads: “Oh yeah? Go ask some homeless person for a reality check on this poem.”)
