The Indignity of Today’s Society - Poem

The Indignity of Today’s Society

She wanders lonely around the urban sprawl that is today’s society
While many people are rich others are still very poor
While some people live in castles others live in a cardboard box
Some live in nothing at all
Some have food, others search bins for scraps
Some have cars, heating and blankets, while others have nothing
Every derelict building looks the same to her
She knows every alley and park bench like the back of her hand
People look fierce and she runs away afraid
Nobody has ever done anything nice for her
She is more used to being used a punch bag than being cared for, wanted or loved
The world is her enemy
Her life long processions are concealed in a plastic bag
Not much to show for seventeen years
Her hair is matted, her clothes are dirty
Nobody cares
She is just another statistic
Another person with no name
The government say they are doing their bit
They pass on the blame
People look at her but they ignore her face
They refuse to look into her fading eyes for fear of what they might see
This young girl could be their daughter, cousin or niece
They spare her no pity
If anything they look at her in shame
She is no better to them than a piece of rubbish that is blowing freely in the breeze
She is nothing more than a blot on their perfect landscape
She is an eye sore that they would rather not see
She should be locked away out of sight out of mind
They go home to their warm and cosy houses
They have got a soft bed to sleep in and hot food on the table
How would they cope if they had to go through peoples rubbish bins and eat old scraps of food?
A mouldy half eaten sandwich is all that keeps her from starving
On the streets you never know where the next meal is coming from
Yes there are shelters and soup kitchens but there are too few of them
If nobody extends a hand of friendship life can begin to feel very lonely
Not everyone can take the first steps to self help on their own
She has no future
Her life was over before it really began
She doesn’t stand a chance
If society doesn’t ostracise her then nature will probably step in and do what it can
By eighteen this girl will most probably be dead or sick with some terrible life threatening disease
Prostitution brings in a little money if anyone will take her but with that cash comes the risk of a sexually transmitted disease
Virginity taken by a total strange, a face with no name
The back seat of a car, a quick fumble, a few battered notes thrust into a grimy hand
No romance, no comfort brutality at its best
If she dies will anyone even notice?
Another young girl will soon replace her and so the cycle goes on and on
We are all guilty of walking past a homeless person and ignoring them
Sometimes it seems the safest and most sensible thing to do
Perhaps we should put ourselves in their shoes for a second
Stop and think how we would like to be ignored and laughed at if the shoe was on the other foot
It doesn’t seem quite so pleasant then
Not everybody chooses to live on the streets
Some people have no where else to go
Underneath their ragged clothes and dirty skin they are still human, still the same as us
Perhaps on some street corner living rough is someone we used to know
My question is when does the rot stop?
Is yesterday's tramp today’s homeless person?


I felt a bit like Carrie Bradshaw writing that last line – eat your heart out Sarah Jessica Parker! This piece was inspired by a homeless lady in Swindon’s town centre who regularly asked me to spare her some change, which I never did.