JACK

I didn’t expect it to ever go this out of hand.

I had a plan, a plan that went into shambles because—I don’t even have someone to blame!

I have to control my emotions; I have to give them all a peace of mind. I used to only have to deal with three, but now there’s three more. What’s three more, right?

“Okay, okay.” I run a hand through my hair, keeping my eyes on the road while the other hand turns the steering wheel to the left. “Okay. I’m fine. This is fine.”

I am Jack Holt, and I am not a loser.

I do not quit.

I am not weak.

And I am in control.

HOLLAND

When’s the last time I’ve ever been this scared in my life. It would have been before I met Thomas, maybe when I was still misjudged by my family. Whatever the case, my stress is high, higher than it usually is.

Thankfully, it’s dark so no one sees the pain on my face. The people who would care are sleeping, anyway. Adon is facing my stomach and Thomas is facing my back with his arms coming over Adon and me. The women—Aubrey, Tresure, and Penny—are huddled in their corner of the van.

Penny is rocking herself, farthest away from Thomas and me as she can get. The blanket, not the only one as the only other is covering me and the men, is wrapped around her and straighted by Aubrey when it begins to fall off.

Treasure and Aubrey seem to know each other, and speak in soft tones as they hold each other’s hands. I can hear: “Is it really you?”

“Yes.”

“What happened to you?”

“You did, Aubrey. It was always you.”

That’s all I can bring myself to hear. I may be insane in some parts, but I know when conversations are meant to be private. Instead, I look at the front of the van to where Jack is driving. The sight I see before me is not pleasing. His shoulders are tensed, his body rigid. I know for myself that Jack hates when things fly out of control.

He can’t control unpredictability. It makes him remember that he’s only human. A small little human in a world full of them. An ant among the colony. An ant that can be squashed with the pad of a thumb.

I close my eyes and snuggle closer to Thomas, bring Adon closer to me as the night takes ahold of my thought. I’ll think about it later, in the morning. I’ll think about the gun wound in Aubrey, I’ll think about the police who are rounding up their troops to come and find us.

I’ll try to find a way to live with those I love in the morning.

Nothings easy for the insane—maybe that’s why I’m still here.

We will find help. There are so many of us out here in this world.

Just another beggar telling another beggar where to find bread

Freedom of the world is not real.

Freedom of the mind is exhilarating.

And now we’re on the run.

We can never go back now. Like the road we’re on now, we can only move forward.

I see you over there with your worn out smile We know you’re not alright So let’s talk for a while We both know what it’s like to feel incomplete A worn out husk longing for something

And I know someone, who’s everything to me A man who’s life was laid down for free You can find him in the word, for he is the word He brings a joy, Of which you’ve never heard

So give him a chance, Let him in Let him wipe away your sins For as this writing prompt has said,

I’m just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.

Only one place, nowhere it’s like home. Only one path, there, to lead you home. Only one word, to make you want back home. Only one time, you choose where to belong.

Only one day, to see how life goes on, Only one breath, you will never know That for only one home, you will want it all.

On a bitterly cold Christmas Eve in the bustling city, the streets were adorned with festive lights and the cheerful hum of holiday songs. Yet, beneath this veneer of joy, there were those for whom the season was just another battle for survival. Among them were two men—Daniel and Sam, two beggars with nothing but the clothes on their backs and each other.

Daniel, an older man with a weathered face that spoke of years spent on the streets, had taken Sam under his wing. Sam was younger, newly fallen into hard times, and struggling to find his place in a world that seemed to have forgotten him. Despite their hardships, they found solace in their companionship.

As the evening grew darker, Daniel and Sam huddled in a dimly lit alleyway, sharing a threadbare blanket. The smell of roasting chestnuts and sweet treats wafted from the nearby Christmas market, tantalizing their empty stomachs. Sam's eyes were filled with a mix of despair and longing.

"Daniel," Sam began, his voice trembling with cold and uncertainty, "do you think we'll ever have a Christmas like the ones we see in the movies? With a warm fire, a big meal, and a tree filled with presents?"

Daniel chuckled softly, his breath visible in the icy air. "Well, Sam, life on the streets doesn’t give us much, but it does teach us to appreciate the little things. Sometimes, it’s just about finding the kindness in the world."

Just as he finished speaking, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was an elderly woman, bundled in a thick coat and carrying a large basket. Her eyes sparkled with warmth as she approached them.

"Evening, gentlemen," she greeted them kindly. "I couldn't help but notice you from my window. Christmas is a time for sharing, and I have a bit more than I need." She handed them a loaf of freshly baked bread, still warm and fragrant. Tears welled up in Sam's eyes as he took the bread, his hands shaking with gratitude.

"Thank you, ma'am," Daniel said, his voice choked with emotion. "You're a real angel."

The woman smiled gently. "No, I'm just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread." With that, she turned and disappeared into the night, leaving Daniel and Sam in stunned silence.

They retreated to their alley, breaking the bread between them. As they ate, the warmth of the bread spread through their bodies, filling them with a sense of hope and togetherness. In that moment, the city's coldness seemed to melt away, replaced by the simple joy of a shared meal.

As the first snowflakes began to fall, Daniel and Sam realized that Christmas wasn't about the grand gestures or material gifts. It was about the small acts of kindness that brought light to the darkest corners. In their humble alley, with a loaf of bread and each other, they had found the true spirit of Christmas.

And so, under the starry night, the two beggars sat side by side, their hearts full, their souls warmed by the knowledge that they were not alone. They had found their Christmas miracle, one bite at a time.

A beggar is hungry and seeks to find shelter and food There was nothing to loot Somebody had to foot the bill Nobody at the till So no stomachs to fill Nobody to kill So they mill around the bread Until they blead The beggars fled Until the bread turned to lead Never got fed

Just a beggar telling another beggar where to find bread

No—— a baker beggar

showing a basic beggar 


 how to bake bread 

       wait….

give a man bread

and he’ll make an air sandwich

  teach a man to bread 

and he’ll bread forever 

if you give man to a bread

it’ll make a man sammich

 if you teach a bread to man 

it’ll run for president

Yeah, that’s it.

Haven’t you ever ate from the garbage, old friends?

Eating mold is fine. Just don’t breathe it. __ __ __ _It’s too much to look for bread _ I’ll starve

Enslaved to the dirt From the moment of birth. Do we only live to die And unite with the earth?

A spec on the canvas. A fraction of infinity. What’s the point to all this When it ends so quickly?

We wander this world, With a hole in our chest. Can we pack this infinite void With the things we love best?

Once we think we’re more full than others We pride ourselves to help the ill fed. But aren’t we just beggars Telling beggars where to find bread?

When the things of this world have sliped away It’s apparent how much deeper a hole we made. We may have helped others along the way, But we’ve all fallen further from the truth we crave.

In a life so miniscule Where possessions are king, Is there any hope In finding eternity?

In our endless search for things that remain We’ve found our property only disintegrates. How can we find what truly sustains When all reality has been reduced to a game?

But In this circus of beggars The Truth did descend. Perfect love made flesh To take upon all our sin.

As the living bread he appeared to us A hope that outlasts this ball of dust. How can we know this Jesus When he’s less tangible than our stuff?

Little did we know When we just open our eyes We see pieces of him All throughout our lives.

But in the end the choice is ours To take the living bread or bread that devours. Will we beggars accept the promise That our Lord has been crucified to give us?

Even if you choose the former Your life doesn’t become a jovial story. There’s a raging battle for your heart A never ending storm of temptation to fight.

In the times we think we’re alone His victory is already set in stone. Will we decide to wake from this fantasy Or let the sacred raisen cake divide our morality?

We are all beggars Looking for bread. Will we find it above Or within ourselves?

Just one beggar Telling another beggar Where to find bread And a lettuce head

Up the street my friend Then we begin again Sling for money So but bread and honey

It’s a fruitful procession We make our confession We will never get rich But we are not digging a ditch

Wisdom is parasitical People are far too critical Nothing is to be done For none of us have won If one of us gives up and starves

If we don’t make peace and share How can we proudly bear The spoils of our smarts The coinage of our hearts When others too fight the same

It’s selfish to survive When together we could thrive Our defenses override Must set barriers aside Opening minds can open eyes

While I may not be sane Maybe I can share your pain And if not, take some of mine For our hunger’s intertwined Pain with th’rest of your bread

Hiding, seeking cover Just a beggar and another Taking refuge in numbers They came across each other For I am but a beggar

We bleed the same as equals We’re not wise, we’re not regal So this is the best we can do I have some pain for you too With knowledge of bread

Bread for bread Pain for pain Wisdom for wisdom We do the best we can do With th’constraints of th’system

I walked down the road as casually as I could manage. My anxiety was rampaging through my head as each person brushed past me.

There are too many of them. Too many, too many, too many.

I was diagnosed with social anxiety when i was only little. Now it has heightened and become worse.

The only person I talk to is my boyfriend because he understand why i am the way i am. My mother doesn’t know. My father is dead. My siblings are across the country. No therapist or councilor either. Just Ein.

He was the only one who talked to me normally because he understood. He had worse anxiety than I did. much worse.

He was just one beggar telling another where to find bread. Just another ant helping out a friend.

Yet I can’t shake the feeling that the bread may not be what it seems. That maybe the help is harm in disguise.