Bet You Can't Hit Me with a Quarter

I must keep going,

I cannot afford to be so caught up in my thoughts

The building corner I just turned, and

The burnt bagel thrown away a few seconds ago.

I regret many things in this moment

Because I am here.

I have watched you walk by.

I did not want to acknowledge

Your clothes and your skin and

The stain that is within.

Because then what hope is left?

You represent these things

I do not want to see.

I have hoped for better and

This concrete city has a cancer.

How can I turn my head

With so much shame in my heart?

You pull this out of me,

And I hate you for that.

You exploit people like me.

We just want to live life peacefully. But really,

I deserve it. Believe me.

To be humiliated

And forsaken…

To be spit upon,

It’s not fair.

If I give you this one moment

Will you leave?

I’m afraid

One wrong move and I will be stuck,

So I will have to speak with you.

We weren’t ever meant to cross paths.

We look up and meet each other's eyes.

The cardboard sign flaps on the ground

Written very poorly:

“Bet you can’t hit me with a quarter”

My heart is broken.

Oh, I am miserable.

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

Oh, I am miserable,

My heart is broken.

“Bet you can’t hit me with a quarter”

Written very poorly,

The cardboard sign flaps on the ground.

We look up and meet each other's eyes.

We weren’t ever meant to cross paths,

So I will have to speak with you.

One wrong move and I will be stuck.

I’m afraid.

Will you leave

If I give you this one moment?

It’s not fair.

To be spit upon,

And forsaken…

To be humiliated.

But really I deserve it, believe me.

We just want to live life peacefully, but

You exploit people like me

And I hate you for that.

You pull this out of me

with so much shame in my heart.

How can I turn my head?

This concrete city has a cancer,

I have hoped for better and

I do not want to see

You represent these things.

Because then, what hope is left?

The stain that is within

Your clothes and your skin and

I did not want to acknowledge

I have watched you walk by.

Because I am here,

I regret many things in this moment.

The burnt bagel thrown away a few seconds ago,

The building corner I just turned, and

I cannot afford to be so caught up in my thoughts.

I must keep going.

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

"Bet you can't hit me with a quarter" was a real sign I had seen in the city of Houston. Others such as a simple "hungry", or "Never thought I'd be here" remind us that it really could happen to anyone. And though you should always take precautions to keep yourself and others safe when approaching strangers, you can spare a quarter. You can spare a moment to acknowledge that you might not understand the circumstances that could lead to someone ending up homeless. We must end the stigma. We are all human.

"Tens of thousands more people in the U.S. were homeless in 2023 compared with 2022 as high costs of living pushed some of the most vulnerable Americans into shelters and the streets. Homelessness shot up by more than 12% this year, reaching 653,104 people. The numbers represent the sharpest increase and largest unhoused population since the federal government began tallying totals in 2007..." (Claire Thornton, poverty and social services reporter for USA TODAY news.)