She once had dreams.

©2016 Louise Gallagher

She sits
head bowed
shaggy black hair
covered up
by a soiled grey hoody
covering up
the ravaged eyes
of lost hope and dreams
escaping
in a puff
upon a pipe
that robs her of
dreaming
of being
anywhere
but here
sitting on a sidewalk
back against a wall.

He stumbles
shoulders hunched
grey hair streaked
pulled back
into a pony-tail
head uncovered
revealing
empty eyes
and gaunt cheeks
pockmarked
by years passing
on the street
to nowhere
but a bottle
left empty
filling up
again
into that space
where once
hopes and dreams
tried desperately to survive
amidst the pain and sorrow
of a past
he could not forget
and the despair
he could not let go of.

They stand
together
falling endlessly
into the abyss
of hopelessness
falling down
cast out
condemnation
falls
upon their heads
bowed in supplication
praying for release
as we pass by
never dreaming
they once
had dreams
worth dreaming.