Street Songs 16

cricket lullabies
sing again in the parks
under the benches
giving comfort
to street dwellers
of all kinds
and the coyotes
take a census of those
in their charge
seeing who has survived
another winter on the streets

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 15

she went the way
of all his high school awards
back of the closet
on a shelf
he spent their retirement
on the new trophy – wife
who cleaned his closets
and threw her out
she sits on the curb
of his mind
can live with their son
but it's not the same
his wife is in charge
when they send her money
she lives in a cheap motel
otherwise it is the street
under the park bench
next to the dumpster
that holds unwanted
memories



© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 14

Street Songs 14
Homeless Man Blues

Woke up this mornin’
Not like I planned
Woke up this mornin’
Two suitcases in my hand
My house in foreclosure
Wife and kids gone
Fell like a looser
Everything went wrong


Got no more work
And started to drinkin’
Tryin’ to forget I’m a jerk
Wishin I could stop thinkin’
Got laid off after 25 years
Where can I go
With all my fears
No one want me no mo

The street calls my name
Not really a man
Can’t stand all this shame
Did all I can
The man worked me so hard
Got rid of my job
Left me holdin’ no card
I feel I was robbed

I stand there not smilin’
Put out my hand
My body is stinkin’
Can’t believe I was canned
The life the man said be mine
If I work hard and be good
Now he be blind
He should be where I stood

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 13

Bag Lady Blues

I woke up this mornin’
my sleeping grate cold
I woke up this mornin’
feeling so old
kids don want gramma
around any more
kids don want gramma
to come in the door
lonely so cold and so wet
my shopping cart lost
I try to forget
how I got here
I is so numb
got no more fear

my blankets got frost
the dumpster is locked
I is so hungry nothing to eat
The dumpster is locked
oh lord just give me some heat
my husband a gambling man
he didn’t bring nothing home
my husband a gambling man
trouble follow like a broken comb
no teeth no use and always alone
the kids they got out
forget about me
the ones I had carried
and sat on my knee
don care to remember
I set them free

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 12

coyotes pull cougar’s tails
shit on park benches
and laugh at dogs
tricksters all, they
show the foibles of living
to those who can still see
the heart blind
see only the damage they do
never learning the lesson
they teach

© Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 11

tired of the sheep
who come willingly for lunch
the cougars seek
more challenging prey
and begin to hunt
at night
using rat minions
to nibble and weaken
those who do not herd
they uncover their dens
and destroy comforts
good sleeping benches
shortened by seat dividers
coyote leaves scat
as his markers

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 10

her legs wrapped
in quilt batting and duct tape
a private person
shunning society
in tune with sunshine
and earthworm symphonies
like a shadow haunting
warm corners
they put a divider
in the middle of the bench
she called home
no loitering
she walks and walks
waiting for the winds
to take her away

(c) 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street songs 9

trash collectors arrive
in the morning
date night for raccoons
ambling two by two
down the city sidewalk
what is on the curb
is theirs for the taking
on each other’s shoulders
tall enough
to knock over good smelly cans
feasting on prime aged
delicacies

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 8

caged trees planted in boxes
dug into concrete oceans
grow slowly
but conspire to join
their root arms in unison
malnourished
they discover sewers
and the strength
to lift sidewalks

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 7

perched in the roof
of the city garage
the homeless man pitches a tent
the cougars call it trespassing
but they never find him home
the birds hear police calls
on the breezes
lifting the bread man away
out of danger

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 6

a congress of cougars
adapted to urban living
donned sharkskin suits
and opened an office
called it a think tank
and invited edible animals
for lunch

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 5

moles excavating
beneath the sidewalk
pushing soil to the edges
weakening the substructure
and preparing the earth beneath
to come from darkness
approaching the evils of hot white heat
beating on the concrete
destroying man’s illusion
of dominion over all

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 4

hot white concrete
solar battery of warmth
a good bed for street dwellers
who must take comfort
where they can
living outside the confines
of structure
small gifts most of us ignore
become monumental
perhaps we should
seek to venerate small mercies

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 3

black asphalt cloaked earth
punctuated here and there
with drain grids
avoiding nature’s puddles
insidiously underground
tree roots tease and tickle
pipes until they burst
with laughter
creating a point of entry
into that which
wishes to obliterate
Gaia’s efforts

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 2

a heap of rags
asleep on the sidewalk dreaming
of a Jesus, Joseph and Mary
chess set complete with
Satan and his luscious minions
of temptation
scantily clad
forgetting God and the game at stake
he joins the fun loving side
only to have them desert him
when he wakes

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman

Street Songs 1

concrete slabs
hot and gray in the sun
a dandelion with tree dreams
finds a miniscule crack
in this lifeless shielding
pokes through
her head crowned
in a golden haze
and nature’s claim
on what is hers begins
who will Gaia send
as the next warrior
probably the bird armies
conveying more seed soldiers
who stalk the weakness
of the spreading enemy

© 2007 Sandy Vrooman