Met a man just the other day
Who exactly I can’t say
Lost in time, with no plan
Just another hopeless man
A lonely man, walking a distant road
On his back, an unbearable load
Too tired, too worn, to even care
Naked, empty, nothing left to share
A crumpled man, prematurely old
No life it seemed, left to unfold
Passionless, frail, so very thin
No family, friends, next of kin
A man whose life passed him by
No one there to hear his cry
Like all other men, or you or me
Bound to death, can’t break free
His face, so very worn
Darkened eyes, filled with scorn
Face and eyes, lost in time
Life forsaken, without rhyme
Not till at home, did I see
There I heard his desparate plea
For meaning, love and purpose be
Essential things, you would agree
Disturbed me so, this war torn man
Felt his load, my life did scan
Across the room in the mirror
My own life became more clear
His ghost, shadow, phantom be
Strangely now, a part of me
How you ask, can that be
Look in the mirror, you will also see
Poetic Alchemist 
“there, but for the grace of God go I…” Very well expanded!!
“There but for the grace of God go I…” Very well expanded!
Gautami: Mirrors never lie. Only our view in the mirror is questionable. In any case, there are days I don’t want to look in the mirror either. LOL.
i hate my mirror!
Kai: Thanks. Wow is good, eh?
wow
Joanne: Added you to my blogroll. You’re new site is dynamite!
Ricardas: Thanks. It is sad, and it touches us all.
Dan: Thanks. Glad you liked it.
Floots: Thanks. Yes, I hear you, but…the mirror is still there and we still want to know…
Joanne: Welcome! Thanks. Your story is a great one. Yes, it’s there to see for all and in all.
Don,
I recently wrote a post about a homeless man I encountered some weeks ago on a street corner. What struck me about this particular man was that he and I wore the same sweatshirt (in different colors)…what struck me more was the essence of the beautiful poem you have shared here. I looked in the mirror when I looked at that man that day, and what I saw there made me more aware of myself, perhaps parts of myself normally outside of my awareness, and perhaps parts I would rather keep that way. It was easy for me to consider the differences in our physical life circumstances, harder for me to look at him and see my fears expressed right in front of me.
Thank you for your wonderful work, Don, and for sharing it so generously.
nowadays i don’t like to look 🙂
very valid point don – as always
thank you
Really good, Don. Really good.
what a sad man. I do see him sometimes in the mirror. great poem.