Homelessness: A Poem by Jurema Ferreira

Where are you from?

It doesn’t matter for Us.

Who you are does matter to us.

What you do doesn’t matter to us.

What Matters is you.

You seeking your place in the world.

You think you don’t belong anywhere

In looking you don’t.

See and you belong everywhere.

In The house you were born.

The Family that welcomed you.

The place where you grew up.

You received love.

Someone gave you love.

The doctor who saved you.

The girl who fed you. The tip I gave you between my two fingers.

The Dog that licked you and had.

The Blanket that covered you.

The space you slept in.

The Water you drank.

The food you ate.

But you want more than that.

But fear scares you.

The rules make you tired.

The shelters, living in groups doesn’t make you happy.

It’s time to eat.

It’s time to sleep.

But you’re not hungry, you don’t want to sleep.

In your head you have a lot of thoughts.

Many at the same time.

You are here.

But you don’t want to stay.

You’re gone.

Now you think you belong.

Somewhere.

Rest in peace.