The Welfare Bench -- Contest for Poetry Carnival

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Subject: The Welfare Bench

Author:
David Young

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Date Posted: 12:53:31 11/11/01 Sun

A long poem with a whole lot of feelings.

Part 1: THE EXECUTIVE

The Chief Executive Officer glanced out his car
To see a man shivering in the cold with
The dirt of too few baths on his face
As the limo stopped for the light
The executive looked away in disgust
To see a man so low
As to be in front of him

The shivering man looked into the limo
To recognize Jim
The man he spent so much time training
So impatient he was
As the man hands went to wave
To a face inside that turned away
What was the matter did he not recognize
The man that Jim said he would never forget
Upon his success

Inching forward like a race car at Indy
The limo driver ready to pounce
As the executive peeked out once more
Ever so quickly
Thinking that time had stopped
To antagonize him from his schedule
To have to see this

Once again the man�s hand started up
Only to be interrupted by a squeal of tires
And a layer of dirt
Then ever so slowly
A tear froze to his cheek
And his heart hurt
From places unknown before now

Part 2: THE KID

In the distance a kid rushed ahead
Of a mother that seemed too slow
So full of energy that his feet
Did not seem to hit the ground
As he spotted the bench ahead
Why was this man so different?
His mind rushed with all kinds of questions
As the mother pulled in the reins
To tell the boy to be quiet and to mind

Trying to keep warm
The man had seen the boy
Looking so warm in all those clothes
Yet moving like it was almost summer
Memories flashed back of his own kids
And how they had the same energy
To rush ahead

The mother now clutching his hand
In a grip that told the boy to be quiet
Raised her head
As straight as an arrow
But somehow the boy still could smile
Into the man that had those sad eyes
And as he passed
He was once again free to run
And as he got ahead
He turned and waved to the man
Whose eyes were now so glad

The warmth in the man somehow grew
On the strength of a smile
From someone so young
As to care to wave
As his hands returned the favor
And the memories came back once more
Of his kids who really could not afford
To help a father be warm
So he had disappeared
To park benches and alleys
To hibernate his misfortune

Part 3: THE POLICEMAN

The car had already circled twice
And was coming again
To stop before the man
As the uniform came out of the door
The voice kindly asked
If the man could move on

The man who had seen the stalking car
Knew it was a matter of time
Till the warning came
It was like a game
Of hide and seek
Which you were always caught

The officer looked as the man
Stood up and moved away
Wondering why he could not get a job
Surely this man did not try
Feeling pity but yet so indifferent
The car started to prowl again
For the next person to warn

Walking the streets brought back memories
Of how he had tried to find work
After being downsized
That he had became somehow overqualified
Yet, he remembers the young coledge students
Who just received their degrees
Saying how unqualified everyone said he was
Somehow things seem to change
To benefit only a few

Part 4: FATHER JOHN

Father John looked at the time
As the thermos reached the top
Quickly he grabbed half dozen cookies
As the cook looked away
As was the routine for most of the days
Her smile could not scold
For she knew the father was to meet
The man of the street

As the man�s feet sought out the meeting place
His mind was thinking on what
He could argue with today
His numb mind was somehow working
Anticipating the combat of friends

Father John looked over his secret notes
To quickly disappear as the man came closer
As was the custom some worn tin cups
Would hold the drinks
With a handkerchief as the table
Five cookies were left on one side
With one left to face Father John

Seeing Father John already ahead
He came upon the subject
That would do battle today
Of how the government takes care of people
Who have money but cannot use it

The hands having met
Now settled down to drink
So the words could come out warm
As the man told of his subject
For it was his turn to do so
Father John jaw dropped
For he knows he has to pray
In order to defend
What politicians try to make right

The man starts his cookie with
If I am hungry and could buy my own
Why does the government need to take some
When I need them to survive
And to penalize even some more
After taking the taxes to help the poor
And have the IRS come back
To want more and more
For you forgot to estimate your misfortune
You still have no more
Except the money that
Started the whole thing in the first place
Which grows smaller with each penalty

Father John sighed a big breath
For he had a tough sermon to talk
The welfare program is there for need
As Father John choked
You have the funds to help yourself
And the companies of today
Are not prejudiced in any way
Three extra prayers he thought at least
And the politicians knew what was good
For the common man
Father John knew he was in trouble
For he had run out of time
For his prayers tonight
As the man smiled to Father John
The battle was lost for this day
And filled his mouth with the cookie
That would stop the words
And somehow signal a gentle surrender

As the meeting came to an end
They both said their prayers
To the one that always seemed to care
When things seemed so low
That a man named Jim could take away
And an unknown boy with a smile
Would help him spring back
Of how a man of law
Could only see the worst
While a man of God
Could not wait to spend time
With a man with so little

As Father John said a special prayer
To the politicians
That they give the man the welfare
Of his own money
Since that money has kept him
From buying his own cookies
That the man could repay
From a company that was not afraid
To give an older person
The chance to take a bath
In warm water
And return a favor of one cookie
For himself
And five for Father John
Who cared when most did not

D. Lester Young
11/12/97

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Replies:

Subject	Author	Date
Re: The Welfare Bench	Lori S. Maynard	14:59:47 11/14/01 Wed