Survival

He lives life in the fast lane,
and works the busy corner
"Homeless Hungry Vet"
on a Budweiser carton.
A woman pulls alongside
and offers a candy bar
and a box of breakfast food.
A smile, then she's gone.
Most 60-year-old men
might be eyeing retirement,
he just keeps working his corner,
relying on strangers for everything
spare change to a cold pizza.
His home is beneath a highway overpass.
He served
in the U.S. Army in Vietnam.
He admits to a beer,
now and then, but
he’s not an alcoholic.
Most of the time,
folks will share a pocketful of change,
or the occasional dollar bill.
On a typical afternoon,
he'll take in $2 to $20...
Most cars pass him by.
"Get a job, you bum.”
He's embarrassed
to stand on a corner,
showing need.
And humbled.