Ode to Kris Kringle

T’was the night
Before Christmas
And this one is
Sitting in his usual place
At the Margaret and Orthodox
Bus terminal

He looks just like a
Filthy rag clothed
Kris Kringle

He sits in the same spot
Every night

No one ever wants
To sit next to him because
He reeks of shit and urine
So he usually has the bench
All to himself

If you ever did dare
To sit next to him
Your eyes would instantly
Begin to tear and water
As if someone
Was peeling onions
Right next to you

Ol’ homeless Kris Kringle
Usually doesn’t bother anyone
To be fair
I have never heard him
Beg for loose change or for food

Between his rag wrapped legs
He has a broken down
Shopping cart
That carries all of his
Earthly treasures
And possessions
Including a
Dachshund puppy

The puppy lays curled up
In a ball
At the bottom of the cart

It is the plight of the dog
That catches most people’s attention

Almost every one
Seems to like dogs
Especially little puppies

But this puppy does not bark
In fact he barely moves at all
He just peers through the bars
Of his shopping cart prison
With those supplicating eyes
That seem to beg
Every passerby he sees
For help

The plight of the homeless man
Seems to go unnoticed
The man receives little sympathy
In fact the opposite is true
Mostly people accuse him of
Animal cruelty
And some threaten to call the police
Or the animal protection people
But none actually do
Including me

After all
We all have a bus to catch
With families to feed
And pets of our own
To take care of

I guess
Ol’ Kris Kringle and his
Cute little puppy dog
Will just have to go on
Fending for themselves
For a little while longer

But I heard him exclaim
As he drove out of sight
Happy Christmas to all
And to all a good night!

jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011