My heart pumps weakly

Starved of love;

It shivers bleakly

And longs for a hug.

For a touch of kindness

From someone who cares;

But around me is blindness

Or nobody dares.

People walk past me

Each desperate day

They glance without seeing

And guiltily look away.

“Why?” you may ask

“Do people not see?”

It’s too hard of a task

To help someone in need.

I make them uncomfortable

With my filth and my sores.

While they may be able,

It’s too much of a chore.

I huddle on the sidewalk

With all that I own;

Listening to people talk,

And miserably alone.

Malnourished I am,

There is no doubt.

But it’s more that just food

It’s love I’m without.