Encounter with a Man in Need

Nov. 19, 2012

Encounter with a Man in Need

A man came up to me today,
     Name of Mr. Washington.
 I shared my bench
     And we sat down a while.
Bought him a cup of coffee for his story.

Fifteen years in prison,
     Locked up in '97,
Locked up when our towers
     Cracked and shuddered
          The foundations of the world.
Locked up
      When the internet took over,
          Computers in our palms.
Locked up
     When I was eight years old,
          Thinking about church
               And video games.
And now,
     He's free,
But all the world is changed,
     He said,
          All the world is changed.

I gave him a ten dollar bill.

I should've told him,
     I'll tell him now,
You and I
     Are two great Alexanders
          In a world of superheroes.
 Bit by bit
     We'll assemble our empires
           Out of this mess.
My prayers for you,
     I wish you all the best.