CATCHING HOPE

Photo of an impromptu sledding adventure with our neighbors in the backyard of the row houses where we live.

Last night 
A man who said he needed prayer
Who has been in and out of jail
Who was high
Who was cold
Who one time tried to break into my house
Years ago when he was in between being locked up
Who is not trusted
Who has run out of trust
With his family and friends
Who lies
Who steals
Who tried to steal from me once
That time he tried to break into my house
Who knows how to act religious
How to pretend to speak in tongues
And shake on the ground
And go to the altar again
Who just got out of jail
Again
Who again is asking for bus money
Which is really get high money
Who is saying it’s cold
But who knows how to find a warm bed or couch
At least for tonight
Who actually can survive in these streets
More than I ever could 
Even without my money or my prayers
Who sometimes gets angry
As soon as I don’t give him what he wants
Who is stuck on these streets
Who is desperate
Again

Said he needed prayer

And I was tired and busy
Cynical and irritable

And because someone asked me to join them
Because someone I’ve mentored asked me to 
I joined them
To pray for our brother
Who is our brother
On my cold front steps to pray

And my prayer was half-hearted
And my compassion was half-empty

And we prayed
And he cried
And he asked
For that bus money
And he, irritable as well
And cynical about himself
Went off into the night

And this is why we need each other
Again