Unseen Stranger

I watch him sitting there on the park bench

That cold Sunday morning

With his long uncombed hair

His red beard not trimmed in years

He sat across from the church

Listening to the sounds

Of the choir coming from within

He was not welcome inside

For he did not have a suit to wear

Or a place to take a bath

He bows his head in prayer

To ask forgiveness one more time

Are his prayers heard or

Does he have to be clean and well dressed

For the Lord to hear his prayers

As they leave the church

In their fine cars and clothes

They do not even see him sitting there

He starts walking downtown

Where he can find something to eat

He heads for the back alleys

To look in the trash cans

They are inside eating from the buffet

And telling stories

As he looks for what they throw out

Now they start home with full stomachs

And gifts piled high

For tomorrow is Christmas day

As he heads to his place under the bridge

It starts to snow as the temperature

Drops down in the twenties

His starts a fire to keep the cold off

And crawls into his cardboard box

Giving thanks for what he has

Then drifting off to sleep

Sometime in the night the fire goes out

And the temperature drops more

The snow is deep that cold December night

As the Lord takes one more old soul home

No one notices that he is not sitting

In the park listening to the choir 

For he is in Heaven listening

To the angels sing

And asking the Lord to forgive the ones

That did not see him sitting there