Poem: “One Gypsy Man”
One Gypsy Man
The heat was so great that I sat down to rest
And watched as mankind was put to the test
A gypsy approached, barely able to walk
He staggered and moaned, unable to talk.
Filthy and starving and bronzed by the sun
Scarred by the world and by the world shunned-
Our eyes met once; his looked so desperate
Then I perceived his death was imminent
He lay down in front of that great city gate
Death in the dust his last shameful state
I winced at the scene but then watched it happen
What I least expected; I witnessed compassion
The gatekeeper came and opened the gate
And seeing that he’d arrived too late
The sentry came by to lend a strong hand
They carried him through to a gentler land
The strong then came by and heckled them both
for helping the one who’d needed it most
I rushed away then, leaving the scene
Where some who seemed able were nothing but mean
His death still haunts me, I see him still
The gypsy who died with no help when so ill
So young, so wild and so sadly alone
I ponder that city that gave him a home.
(A light had shone down, that long ago day
That light that had shown what it wanted to say
That the poor are still with us, its not too late
To feed them and clothe them and show them the gate)
Michele Marie
