Homeless Man

I read COUNSELOR on the back 

of your shirt. when were you 

the leader of the youth? did 

they drive you into the ground 

you are now asleep on? or 

did you find the shirt in 

the trash? was it covered in 

grease from the rats and strays? 

was it covered in blood from 

the bus crash at the bottom 

of the canyon? the kids watch 

you break the glass windshield. they

know you’re the only one that 

made it out. they know the 

parents staked your front yard for 

you to be arrested. what they

didn’t know is that day you 

ran into the mountain trail that 

leads to the sun, but you 

only found that cross. it was 

on fire. it was covered in 

blood. the wind was screaming. 

where does the fire and your 

hair begin? where do the teeth 

crack like oak? how long does 

it take for the eyes to 

boil? the sun always 

envelops the darkness.