The Unknowns

Oh! They exist!
They see you walking by
They stare at you with eyes run dry
They try to tell you their sorry tale
If you’d listen
If you’d only look their way

(But do you know they exist?)

Of course you see them
But what do you do? You scorn at them!
‘They caused it for themselves didn’t they?
And they are the government’s problem!’
I hear you say
You’d rather just walk ahead and look away
And hope they don’t come in your way.

(Do you want them to exist?)

They just sit around and have nothing else to do
Counting coins and the hours too
They’re all over the streets
No better than thieves
Dressed in stench-filled rags
Oh! God forbid if they touched your hand!
They face the harsh weather with hands and feet bare
But the fact is none of us care.

The homeless, the poor, the downtrodden
They live amongst their own
Even in our idealistic and perfect world
They will live and die Untouched and Unknown.