Sitting on the sidewalk
With his back against the wall
Of Bank of America,
He stared. That’s all.
 
With frayed trousers,
A tattered shirt,
Worn sneakers
Covered with dirt—
 
He sat alone.
Only now and then
Did he look up...
And then stare again.
 
A striking contrast
To the passersby—
The Gucci dress,
The George Neale tie...
 
He held a sign;
“HUNGRY” it said,
Scribbled on cardboard,
Written in red.
 
His beseeching gaze
Seemed to convey
His hunger and pain.
I looked away.
 
Someone will give him
Enough for a meal,
I rationalized—
Trying not to feel.
 
I should have helped
The guy somehow;
Those imploring eyes
Still haunt me now.

- by Bob B