Branches of a New Beginning

By Sean Trott

We say the conditions of our shelters are poor
but yet they remain unchanged
We need action not words for our state to be rearranged
We need suitable housing with available funding
and money to spare
We need more people to witness homelessness firsthand, in order for them to care
We need speakers to speak highly of our community,
not to put it down
Because in the homeless community,
Harrington is the best place in town
It smells good, it’s clean,
and they let us watch movies on a flat TV
The staff is great; they treat us like people,
and they respect me for me
They shake my hand and always answer me with respect
It goes a long way, when all you’ve ever known is neglect
So what do we do now in this crucial time of need?
I propose we forget the existing trees
and plant a new kind of seed
Let’s grow a fresh tree that will work on all branches
And leaves of success, will blossom
in the form of chances
Because chances are what homeless people really seek
Until they receive proper chances,
their future appears bleak
Uncertain and confused they are left to feel hopeless
Why do we look down on these people
who suffer being homeless
These are the strongest people I will ever know
There is no extent to surviving
that they would refuse to go
Imagine one day you wake up and everything is gone,
the house, car and money
I bet then you would take a step back and say homelessness really isn’t funny
Let’s be true, you couldn’t make it out there
coming from your place
Now look at a homeless person
and see the determination on their face
These people, these human beings are soldiers
in a war of the true American way
The rich get richer and the poor become homeless,
day after day
The American dream is only available to those who are born in the right circumstance
And those born into broken homes…let’s face it,
maybe 1 or 2 even have a chance
But yet they wake up every day and choose,
not to die, but to live
And all they ask is,
Does someone have a chance they could give?
Give them a chance to show us what they can really do
Because in my eyes they are much stronger
than not only me, but also you
They cannot be defeated; they continue to fight
in these horrible conditions
Change will come when people in our position
start making better decisions
Help these people instead of
forgetting that they even exist
Because they are out there every day
clinching their fists
Ready to fight another day,
hopefully another night to survive
Wondering which shelter, if any,
could they pick out to hide
Well I tell you I am a new force that
will make change in this world
And I (God willing) with time,
will show you these oysters hold pearls
Outside rough, and inside we are all beautiful,
but not the same
How good does it make you feel when someone remembers your name?
I was told as a teen that supported my Homeless mother
That there is no limit to the lengths you go to protect your sister, mother and brother
I suffered and sacrificed a life of my own,
with no second thought
Because people deserve homes and these fights
have to be fought
Well my story is out there and it’s a success story
in my eyes
I will fight for the homeless, through every single sunrise
So I ask you today to allow homeless people
the chance to really start living
Let’s take a chance and plant the tree that grows the Branches of a New Beginning