A resident in our Cedar House Homeless Service wrote the following poem. We are delighted to publish it here on her behalf.
To all the homeless soldiers
Dear Friends,
I see YOU on the soup runs,
YOU
Are the homeless soldiers who are in the battle and combat everyday,
YOU
Are the soldiers who battle to survive on the streets carrying your small belongings everywhere YOU
Going to the soup runs and standing in long queues in all kinds of weather,
Queueing for food, clothes and your basic necessities to help you survive.
A sleeping bag or a tent to help you sleep through the night,
But it is not easy for the soldier who battles on the ground when he is sleeping rough.
His first priority is to find a safe place that will be free from danger and bring him a peaceful night’s sleep.
This is his prayer that he says every night,
This is one of his many battles that he faces every day,
The soldier’s courage is put to the test, all his trials have tested him on the battlefield.
Time and time again, His great and mighty
TENACITY
Has made him what he is, a great soldier,
Who cannot be broken or defeated in battle when he faces every battle with
TENACITY.
His TENACITY has taught him these very powerful words,
I CAME, I SAW, I CONQUERED.
Wholeheartedly he surrenders himself to these words, never doubting himself or what he can do.
Everything is in his hands and his grasp, he holds on to it tightly never letting it go or disappear into the air,
When he thinks and reflects on what he has achieved,
The soldier is humbled by everything in his small and great victories,
His greatest tool that he carried with him at all times, in good times, difficult times and sad times,
It was a tool that kept his spirit alive throughout his battle,
It was a tool he loved and would never part with,
It was a tool inscribed with these words on it,
We only know what we can do until we try
This tool is greater than all the tools in this world,
A priceless and timeless tool that makes us what we are, Great soldiers in the battlefield.
The soldier now sees the world and life itself with new eyes,
It has taken him a long time to see with happiness and joy,
The dazzling stars at night again.
Dear Homeless Friends,
I was a homeless soldier just like you.
I am the one who proudly looks up to you, The Heroes of Homelessness,
Who face every day with courage and bravery on the battlefield.
A soldier
Who wears no army uniform in battle, Or gold medals on his coat.
You are to me, and always will be, unforgettable
You are the Heroes and Great Soldiers
Whose motto is
ICAME, ISAW, I CONQUERED.
From a soldier who has not forgotten you.
