His house is one of the last remaining on his street…
Where many homes have fallen apart and been torn down.
He lives alone with his dogs to keep him company…
In their eyes, he’s a king with a castle, who wears a crown.
He collects abandoned items people throw away…
And decorates his humble abode with artful taste.
He forages through fast-food restaurant garbage cans,
Finding the leavings that others discard as waste.
Two patiently waiting dogs wag their tails happily…
As he shares a salvaged meal with them graciously.
Another sun is setting and closing another day…
Tomorrow he’ll begin once more, tenaciously.
Tonight he’ll sleep in his crumbling, ramshackle home…
With devoted dog companions to keep him warm.
He survives in spite of advancing age and poverty…
Continuing to bravely face storm after storm.
© Mary Elizabeth Balderrama
M.E.Balderrama's Poetic Vistas 