Frank pushed his grocery cart, the one he had appropriated from the Safeway a few months back, through the park. The cart, loaded with a sleeping bag, a tarp, some warm clothing, a few rolls of toilet paper, and some snacks and a bottle of cheap booze he’d swiped from the convenience store, was hard to push through the dirt on the trail.
Frank could see that the sun was starting to set and he needed to find a suitable place to set up camp for the night. He was looking for a path less traveled, and one where he could find a relatively flat clearing, isolated enough to shelter him from the disparaging glances of other patrons of the city park.
It wasn’t Frank’s fault that he was homeless. How could he know that the economy would come close to collapse and that the factory he worked at would be shuttered? How could he know that his wife would leave him and his grown kids would shun him after the alcohol turned him from a good man to a drunken bastard? How could he know that he’d lose his house and find himself on the streets begging for scraps and morsels like a mangy dog?
But this was not the time to consider such weighty thoughts. He just needed a clearing where, away from prying eyes, he could unfurl the tarp, roll out his sleeping bag, crawl inside, and pray that he would at last find his lasting, quiet, endless peace.
Written for this week’s Thursday Photo Prompt from Sue Vincent.
This, That, and the Other 
We should all pray for Frank.
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been there……….
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A humorous take on a sad subject. We talked about it some as a family, deciding we are one or two paychecks away from being homeless at times in our lives.
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It is sad, isn’t it?
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Have you seen the blog by a woman who lived among the homeless for a few years? She’s trying to shine a light on the situation.
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No, I haven seen it. Do you have a link?
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Tragic…but a tale that could belong to any one of us in this unstable world.
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A tragedy of circumstance, and a lack of welfare and support to pick him back up.
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Sounds like Frank is looking for the peace of the grave.
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I think you’re right.
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Bravo Sensei, Bravo! Hats off to such a great post. (I missed it because of WordPress. Thankfully I always visit pages individually)
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Glad you enjoyed it, Sight.
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A tragedy of our ‘modern’ times.
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A poignant tale that must be so true.
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A sad, but all too often, true tale for many. Well-penned.
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Thank you, Eliza.
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A story that strikes the fear of life in many people. There for the grace of fate go us all.
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So very sad 🌹🌹
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Yes, it is.
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💜
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