NOT TRUE

 

TY James Vann

“This beautiful and moving poem -- "NOT TRUE" --

was read at a recent "Memorial for the Fallen Homeless of 2022."

Friends are encouraged to share the poem widely among their networks.

...............................

NOT TRUE (by Anonymous)

Not true

That I am invisible.

That I disappear into thin air when you take

My blankets, my food

And everything I own.

Not true

That I don’t want to come inside

If inside wanted me, I would go.

Offer me more than what I have

Offer me dignified housing

Offer me a home without an end date

A home that does not take every dollar I have

And I would go

Not true

That I want to live in squalor.

That I want to live without water or a bathroom

Without hot food; without safety

In fear and uncertainty

Not true

That I steal,

That I steal profits from businesses

and property values from owners

Not true

That I want charity

More than the right to live free

From harassment; from judgment

From shame

What’s true

Is that some cannot see me

As their neighbor, their friend,

Valuable, capable, worthy

Of existing by them.

More true

Is that some ... maybe even you

Cannot see me at all.”