Michael

I see him everyday,
This broken, shattered man.
I've spoken to him many times,
Well at least the times I can.

And although some people find him strange,
they do not see his truth.
How easily our lives can change;
How quickly we uproot.

Some people call him "Crazy,"
And sit, and stare, and laugh.
But I just call him brother,
And smile on his behalf.

I cannot seem to understand
His life, his ways, his trials,
And I do not know what got him here;
He must live in denial.

I do not know where he may sleep,
Or if he has food to eat.
I do not feel the pain he feels
As he walks with shoeless feet.

He may be sick and dying,
Unfortunate as it may be.
But I do not know the details,
I only know what I see.

And everyday I pass him
At the bus stop there on West,
Sometimes he is shouting curses
While he beats upon his chest.

And sometimes he is still as night;
As if waiting for a change.
Like maybe if he sat long enough,
His life would rearrange.

I wonder what he was like
Before this devastation.
Was he handsome, was he smart?
And what about his Salvation?

Does God grant mercy on those like him?
That just can’t understand?
Or will he face the Lord of hosts;
As will any other man?

I wish I could just shake him free
Of the bondage and confusion
And help him see reality
And wake from this illusion.

But I cannot. I don’t know how.
All I can do is pray.
And hope that God will free his mind,
And calm this slow decay.

And day by day we’ll pass his stop,
And watch this vicious cycle.
So, If you happen to see him there
Please say hello to Michael.