Help Can Be Found Anywhere Between Two Souls | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Poetry On Odyssey: The Homeless Man And Lost Boy

Troubled times requires the company of others.

10
https://unsplash.com/@evstyle

Do people come here often? I ask.

Sometimes. The ghostlike male replies.

Do you inhale often? I wonder.

Often? I inhale everyday Son.

How long have you been here? I question.

Son, I honestly don't know. At first, I would count the days and nights that passed

but inhaling has left me at a loss with times craft.

I guess I could start counting for the both of us then, I tell him.

Why would you do such a thing?

Well, Sir, I have no place left to go.

My house is no longer considered my home.

My loved ones no longer have love left to share with me.

I never worked independently.

So I am better here,

under this tree with you.

Across from the bridge,

watching unfamiliar strangers drive by,

and simply letting life

be untied, I tell him.

Son, life is made up of a hundred complicated lifelong ties.

Mistakes are made, and people change.

But living under this tree is the worst mistake you will ever make.

I don't think you understand Sir,

No one wants me back or in their lives.

I'm meant to be lost in this world, alone.

There has to be at least one soul out there looking for you Son.

I don't think so, I tried reassuring him.

What bad could you have possibly done?

Drugs got a hold of me, it happened after my old man died.

Started off innocently with weed,

but my needs grew stronger, which led me to LSD

and later worsened with cocaine.

I started stealing from my mom,

and I abandoned my pregnant girlfriend,

then I quickly disappeared.

I woke up in the hospital two times- barely alive.

Once in handcuffs, and the other time- well I couldn't tell ya.

Tried getting clean, tried getting my act together

but here I am, suffering from withdrawal and nearly dead.

Eh, it ain't that bad Son, the old man said.

I've done worse, I assure you- he grinned.

I'll tell you something though: drugs aren't shit in this world.

Wake up from this nightmare you've gotten yourself lost in,

Open up your eyes, and

go back to where you came from,

and hope for this to never happen again, he says to me.

What will I do though? How can I overcome all of this alone? I ask him for advice.

Anything, he says, except letting your life go to waste.

Well then you must join me until the end, I replied as I reached out my hand for him to grab.

I couldn't, he says.

Why not? I ask.

Because I am an old man and there is no point in my return.

There are no hopes left for me except for living my last few weeks under this tree.

That is not true, I said.

Just because you are old does not mean you can give up.

Plus if you do not come with me, I will probably end up living on 47th street's bench.

The old man laughed and looked at the lost boy with tears in his eyes. He grabbed the lost boys hand firmly and together they left the tree behind.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Lifestyle

Pros And Cons Of Having A Birthday Near The Holidays

The truth of what it is like having a birthday around the holiday season.

2289
Christmas decoration
Flickr

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! But for some people, including myself and my Dad, it can have its ups and downs when it comes to having a birthday near and around the holiday season. I personally share a birthday with my Dad two days before Christmas. Yes, Christmas Eve Eve is our birthday. Here are a few pros and cons for having a birthday near the holidays.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas Tree Lights
Pixabay

It is that time of year again. Christmastime. It is one of my favorite seasons for a myriad of reasons. Here are just a few reasons why I love Christmas. This list is in no order of importance.

1. The Christmas decorations

I am that person who will decorate directly after Thanksgiving is over. This year, my roommates and I put the tree up in our apartment before we even left for Thanksgiving break. It is a great stress reliever for me to just sit in my living room and work on the huge amount of work I have before the semester is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl with santa hat
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

'Tis the season to be jolly folks, and if you're anything like me, then at the stroke of midnight on Halloween your home went from wicked to winter

Keep Reading...Show less
mistake
Project Eve

Mistakes are something we all make, no matter how old we get. Most of the time, the mistakes we made are little and sometimes due to something out of our control. Yet, there are mistakes that are bigger than others. Personally, I have mistakes that I wish I could go back and undo. Here they are:

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

13399
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments