He had a name
Nobody cared to ask for
Smiles filled with disgust
Pity stained their eyes
Business men passing by
No hand reached out
Just another guy who had it all
Lost it when the needle pierced his veins
Gorgeous women avoiding
Afraid they'll become ugly by association
His name was John
He had a wife and three kids
Left him when he started his addiction
He wasn't proud of the times he spent
Beating her in front of the kids
Throwing plates and fights over nothing
Cheating became a way of life
An affair turned into a divorce
A box by the garbage next to the 99 cent store
Saw him one day
Mom told me not to talk to strangers
But he had a face that said hello
I asked his name
He only said I should go away
I gave him the dollar
The very one I got from the tooth fairy
Just that morning
He mustered a tear and said he couldn't take it
I insisted he use it for a can of beans
He bought ramen
I didn't blame him
Not everybody likes beans
I met him the next day
Asked his name again
He just shooed me away
So I asked if I could buy his name
Another dollar pulled from my pocket
He said his name was John
And then I realized why I liked him
He was just like my dad
Scraggly beard and an appetite for money
I asked him why he was there
He asked if I had a ten
I couldn't pay the man so he didnt tell me
The next day I was eating a pb&j;
He asked for a bite
So I brought him a loaf of bread
The peanut butter and jelly
I told him I didn't know how to make one
And I dont like sharing my food
He only laughed
A laugh so priceless
I knew he was a really nice guy
A cop came just moments later
Asked where my parents were
I told them exactly where
John said he didnt want any problems
And then I told the cop
Something that shocked both of them
He's my friend John
He's homeless and likes ramen
I might not know everything about him
But he's kind and makes really good pb&j;'s
Officer I dont want to go home just yet
The officer shook Johns hand
Gave him a twenty and said have a good day
John gave me a hug and said thanks kid
He told me his story
Told me everything about him
He was born 06/17/1961
Unfortunately he passed away today
01/04/2016 at 5:15am
That very same officer found him
Died of a heart attack
No one knows John
The only thing he never told me
Was his last name
He probably thought no one cared
John taught me that any moment could be your last
Don't ever get cocky
Makes your head too big and makes you stumble
He taught me that even the less fortunate
Are humans just as well
They hold stories nobody knows
They contain wisdom beyond comprehension
I loved John
He is and will always be a dear friend to me
He was a great friend
Even though the world saw a failure
I saw a man that was put through the ringer
Went 12 rounds with life
I saw a warrior
Even if his name wasn't John
He was my friend
Here's a pb&j; for you man