Peeved delivery truck drivers

Honk and beep at each other

Grumbling

About the nightmares of rush hour

Over the harsh babble of cars

Empty beer bottles crack

And shatter across the gravel and cement

The thuds of fist fights break out

In the distance

A hungry baby moans and cries

Starving for life

Gun shots are fired

A reminder that no one is safe

The chilly air swooshes down a lonesome alley

Hurling brown and blue plastic bags in every direction

Hitting and crinkling

Against a flimsy cardboard home

Vanishing

Like hope

An old man drags his heavy boots and brittle body

Clomping to the edge of the street

Pennies clinking in an empty tin can

Leaning on his hollow cane

His raspy voice begs

But no one listens

I look into his distant eyes

That plead and cry out for mercy

His life is spent

Though he never owned a dime