Winston W Wallace Click to advance

The night was dark and cold with a hard wind blowing I was headed home when it started snowing On a deserted city sidewalk I hurriedly walked Trying to escape the memories that always talked And stalked and filled my head I stumbled over an old man who was cold as dead Just lying there under the street lamp's glow I started to keep walking but something made me stop What, I will never know "Mister, you are going to have to get out of this cold or you will die" He looked up at me with his sad old eyes and started to cry

"I have no money, I have no place to go My dreams are as gone as this windswept snow Just leave me alone and let me do as I choose I prefer death to living, what do I have to lose" For some reason I started crying To see this sad old man whose only dream left was dying I tried to think of some encouraging word to say But my life had been so cold and cynical no thought came my way

I was on my knees holding his hand And I heard music as if from a band A sweet melody from my childhood Suddenly I was a child again and above me my mother stood I was lying in bed, I had been sick for so long To me she was an angel as she sang this song "I love you my son and I always will Whether you are awake or whether you are still Time takes many things but it will never steal my love for you For time cannot kill truth And I will always love you true"

"Moma,I love you" I said But am I ever going to get well Will I ever get out of this bed Will I ever walk again like other kids do Or will I be a cripple my whole life through" "Son I truly believe one day you will be like the others Like your sisters and brothers I pray that is God's will That can you can climb every mountain and hill

That you grow up and have children of your own And plant some of these seeds that others have sown The seeds of goodness ,love, and light To brighten someone's weary night And to show some lost soul the good light of day To help others find the way But son, I can promise you this much As long as you need me, my hand and heart you will touch I will never leave you until you can walk Until you can run in the meadows, until you can climb the tree Until you are free"

"Gosh Mom" I said through tears" you would do that for me" "Yes, I would" she said with a smile "I will be with you until that last mile And be happy that I could Now, you get well, is that understood" Then suddenly the music and my mother was gone There was just the two of us, me and the old man alone "Let me be" he was saying in pain As the snow turned to rain

"Leave me alone mister, I'm just a loser bum When I am gone there is just one less piece of scum And trash to pick off the street Now beat it, get on your feet Get the hell out of here Go get a meal or a beer What could my life possibly mean to you It's over, it's through" "No it is not" I said with a trembling voice "You still have a choice I am going to help you get on your feet You will no longer sleep on the street

I know you are old but you still have some gold We all have some light to give and some seeds to grow I am going to take care of you mister That I want you to know" He looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said "why" I thought of my mother and choked back the will to cry For the first time in a long time my spirit was free "You would do that for me You would do that for me"

"Yes I would" I said I pray that it is God's will That you can climb every mountain and hill That you can still grow and have dreams of your own And plant some of those seed that others have sown The seeds of love, goodness and light To brighten someone's weary night And to show some lost soul the good light of day To help others find the way And mister, I promise you this much As long as you need me, my hand and heart you will touch I will never leave you until you can get back on your feet

I will never leave you until you can get back on your feet I promise you never again to sleep on the street So relax mister you are now free" He smiled as if he had just seen Heaven And said" you would do that for me" The next morning I awoke and he was dead And though I grieved for the old man I was thankful for the words I had said He is in a better land running through the meadows and climbing the tree As I see my mother smiling down on a little boy "You would do that for me"

Winston W Wallace