The wind and cold took a toll on his soul,
now this trash-can fire burns black like coal.
Wrinkles run deep, as if chiseled in stone.
His tattered clothes desperately need sewn.
By now austerity is his only friend,
and has seen too much pain to comprehend.
His sternly watches the passers-by
But they're too scared to look him eye-to-eye
Hes an animal trapped in this concrete zoo,
laughter is foreign and time is askew.
Now it seems so clear they lied
They told him he'd be a hero and a legend.
But his veteran's parade is still just pretend. . .