Alley Roads

A man hides behind the rubble of the nearby trash
Does he not deserve a hot meal in his stomach
His life decorated with triumph and heartache alike
His story unfolded would reach any ears daring to listen
How is it that we walk by him and not notice his frown
All that is seen is the dirt on his face, not the battles he won
His uniform a long ago memory, and his decoration forgotten
He tried to manage the chaos of life and lost along the way
Still he was one of us, His tears just as salty and real
He once had dreams of a life like yours and mine
Yet fate's hand took both of his loves in childbirth
The devil was there to greet him in his sorted misery
The burning taste of elixir ran down his throat as he wept
Unfair you call it, but reality unfolded upon him in a storm
Now his dirt a little more understood, Years of remorse indeed
He spat out the poison, but the pain returned and with it the glass
The sands of time etch away our memories, fading them some
All of this though does little to conform standards on the heart
His glass never empty, his sorrow open and grand
What would you do if you lost everything you ever loved
After waging wars for those who did not even care
Could you hold your head and thank your maker
Or would you be just another vagrant standing near a fire