one day i saw a man asleep
in a doorway on the street
through walls of sheltered inhibition
i perceived his condition
dying of hunger and exposure
within this place we breed and dwell
we've created living hell
city sleeps and pigeons flutter
vagrant dies in the gutter
prideless death somehow befitting
to life spent working on forgetting
i looked outside and i thought about death
passing cars the only tribute
to his gasping final breath
i thought about the bitter pain
of jail cells and falling rain
i thought ahead and i looked away
in sheltered youth and our pretension
avert our eyes to divert attention
only to see the human victims
always there to remind us