Street People: Man One

lillian

He was a thick-skinned old coot. And no one knew his history.
He just seemed to appear one day. On the park bench. He sat there
with the pigeons, newspapers crumpled in his lap. Never talked,
never flinched when the kids hit baseballs close or when the rain fell.
I’d rush by and he just stared. At the newspapers, in his lap. All that summer,
he sat like that. And then he was gone. Like the summer’s warmth. Just gone.

bench-20957_1280

WP Writing 201 prompts: Prose poem, skin, internal rhyme.

22 thoughts on “Street People: Man One”

    • lillian October 7, 2015 / 12:16 pm

      Many thanks Amanda. So nice to see your kind words over my second cup of coffee this morning! Hope you’ll stop by again 🙂

      Like

      Reply
    • lillian October 7, 2015 / 12:45 pm

      Ah many thanks. Somehow when I read the prompt “skin,” “thick skinned old coot” popped into my head. Funny how those brain synapses work 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. jacquelineobyikocha October 7, 2015 / 1:02 pm

    That pulled my heartstrings ‘cos I can just visualize his lonely self. Who knows where he wandered off to? Hope it’s just to another bench or somewhere warmer at least.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian October 7, 2015 / 1:11 pm

      Exactly….that’s the hope of this piece–to make the reader wonder. So glad you liked it!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. ranu802 October 7, 2015 / 1:28 pm

    I loved the thought behind your poem, it’s awesome. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian October 7, 2015 / 4:21 pm

      So glad you like it. Many thanks!

      Like

      Reply
  5. Misky October 7, 2015 / 4:41 pm

    This is a visual feast, and you ended it perfectly. Nothing taken away from my own imagination of this man.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian October 7, 2015 / 4:45 pm

      Thanks so much! Truly. Really glad to receive your kind words here!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. Al The Author October 7, 2015 / 8:22 pm

    I really like this, and that end note of “gone like summer’s warmth” is beautiful 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian October 7, 2015 / 8:25 pm

      Many thanks Al. Appreciate your very kind words.
      So maybe this man left his bench to meander over to your site to join in the devil dance. But I hope not. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. Alexander October 7, 2015 / 10:14 pm

    very nice, and I wonder not just where he went, but where he came from?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • lillian October 7, 2015 / 11:32 pm

      Very good question, Alexander. In many ways, these are the invisible people – the ultimate “other.”
      So nice to see your response here.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. oneta hayes October 7, 2015 / 11:39 pm

    From one who loves the street people, this is great. I’ve got to move on right now but when I get back I want to look up a couple links for you regarding the woman I have named Mara. It hurt so to lose her to ….(?)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. SabahBatul. October 8, 2015 / 12:51 pm

    I can see him sitting there,when I read this.It’s like I was there.Good job!:)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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