Helping Those In Need.

I took a gentle saunter,
Along the cliffs last night,
When I came across a gentleman,
He gave me quite a fright.

I thought I was alone up there,
Just me and a star-filled sky,
Until I saw his silhouette
Out of the corner of my eye.

He was standing very near the edge,
Motionless and looking down
And as I sashayed to the side of him
I made out his troubled frown.

As the lighthouse, not so far away
Did its duty and proudly flashed,
The angry waves beneath us,
Against the jagged rocks, they crashed.

“Goodness, poppet, what’s on your mind?
You’re risking life and limb!
You’re standing too close to the edge of the cliff
And the ground here’s very thin.”

It was then there was a reaction
- And much to my surprise -
He turned his head toward me,
With sad, tear-sodden eyes.

Then he poured his heart out to me
-It must have been an hour -
His divorce … the child with ASBOs
And his lack of pulling power.

The car he’d had for just a month,
That had now been repossessed …
(One was beginning to wish one hadn’t asked
As I too, was becoming depressed.)

…The job he had excelled at,
Now gone … he was on the dole,
His entire life oh so meaningless,
Disappearing down life’s plughole.

After one heard the poor man’s problems,
One didn’t know what to say.
So, instead I smiled … gave him a gentle push
And helped him on his way.

© DCG