What do you see when you look at me
Hunched and broken under the tree
Holes in my shoes and stench in the air
No shower to wash my scraggly hair

I slept in the woods as you drove by
You glanced, but didn’t hear my cry
My house, wood crates and a blue tarp roof
My living room just muddy proof

It didn’t always seem this way
I used to wake at the start of the day
Rested, clean, and full of hope
It was up to me to make the most

The unexpected came to me
I didn’t invite it to stay, you see
It forced its way and settled in
And I couldn’t figure out the way to begin

Does your heart pull for just a bit
Wondering about the places I’ve seen
The hurts, the sorrows, and all the loss
Or do you dismiss me, assuming the worst?

I’m still you and you’re still me
Can you see the little thread that’s in between?
I see the heart that’s in your eyes
Sometimes I wonder, do you see mine?

Be glad today if this isn’t you
Life can change, no matter what we do
So stop and come near, wherever I am
And pour love and offer whatever you can

“And when he saw him, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33