The Forgotten

The Forgotten

The man that you walked past today
huddled by the shop door
the one whose bed you stepped on
that old blanket on the floor

He knows just what you think of him
your face, it says it all
when you look through him like that
as though he’s part of the wall

“Oh, get a job!” some will shout
“And get out of my way!”
He’s pushed aside and moved along
kicked and spat at many a day

“He’s just a lazy wastrel bum,
with no desire to work,
he doesn’t need to live like this
he just likes to shirk!”

But if you look a little closer
there’s sadness in his eyes
If I told you there’s more to him
would it come as a surprise?

He didn’t want to be this way
he did have a career,
a home a wife and family,
so you really shouldn’t sneer

For his eyes hold not just sadness
they’re also full of pride
the furrow in-between his brows
represent the times he’s cried

He always rises early
and tries hard to look his best
that comes from army training
but there are no medals on his chest

He’s one of the forgotten
the injured and sent home
but no job was waiting for him
so his mind began to roam

The horrors flashed before him
the sights that he had seen
he treated his wife differently
sometimes lashing out and mean

“Please help him” she would beg and plead
never receiving a reply
the authorities ignored them
no matter how hard they would try

At last she’d taken all she could
“You’re killing us” she said
so he packed and left the family home
and sofa surfed instead

He asked the council for a flat
“You’re not in need” they’d say
he walked the streets in search of work
living hand to mouth each day

No place would employ him
as he had no fixed address
the flashbacks were still haunting him
his head was in a mess

He started to give up on life
something inside had died
but if you look straight into his eyes
you’ll still see there that pride

For he’ll always be that soldier
who would die for you and me
so next time you walk past him
have some respect and empathy.

Written by: Cate Hayes 2016