I Know This

You don’t even know me

I know this

You don’t wanna know me

I know this

I ain’t much to look at

You don’t wanna hear me

You certainly don’t owe me

I know this

I’m hungry.

Bit rude

Comin’ out the tube

Bit cold

This is getting old news

Some guy

Tryin’ a sell me Big Issue

Tryin’ a get it sold

I’m tired.

Haven’t slept a wink

But you just did your bag zip

What a hassle

To open it again

Gloves’ll beat the nip

What a hassle

To take them off again

Purse right at the bottom

Jack Frost at your hip

Jack Frost on your lip

Well Jack Frost has consumed me

He’s my arch enemy

Like it was meant to be

I can’t remember warm

Your can’t imagine the trauma

It’s like a living hell

But a frozen one

I cough not from the bottom of my lungs

But from the bottom of my body

Bottom of my heart and soul

Crying out

Screaming out

I just wanna shout out

But then you’d see my teeth

Smell my breath

I’d put you off

You’d run away

I used to have a dentist

I used to have a doctor

I used to have a job

And a wife

I had a life

I feel dizzy.

But you are busy

I know this

In a rush

To the office

To a meeting

With seating

And heating!

Got that London walk

Got that i-phone talk

Thinkin’ ‘bout your Christmas list

Things to do

People to see

Presents to wrap

What about me?

You know where I stand

Locationally

Well actually I sit

I’ve been here since yesterday

And the day before

Apart from the times I had

To pee behind that tree

You know where I stand

Emotionally

Well you can guess

“When I’m speaking to you

Look me in the eye!”

That’s what my father used to say

When I was a child

It’s not my place

To say that to you

No one looks at me

It’s not my place

Not my space

I know this

What a hassle

“I’m sorry to trouble you Miss”

What a hassle

I’m sorry I have to get in your way

Disturb your day

Wasn’t meant to be this way

But now I’m asking you to pay

Can’t offer you much

But we can do a trade today

I’m a business man

In my own way

Just like the men you meet every day

Something to read

When you’re on the tube

On the way home

Home

But now it’s survival

Fighting your rivals

Your own patch

The horrors of the night

You don’t see this

I know this

You don’t know this

I know this

Just know this

I fell off track

But I’m trying to make amends

I’m a decent guy

Or they wouldn’t let me sell this

I hope to buy a sandwich

You don’t have any change

I hope for next time

Have a nice day Miss

You will

I know this

......

Christmas is a time of giving and thinking about what we are doing. It’s a great time to start getting involved with the homeless cause, for one. Even if you buy one Big Issue, you are contributing.

I am really pleased to hear that the Big Issue seller, who I saw almost every day for my four years at Bristol University, has been nominated to carry the Olympic torch. Others’comments in this article reminded me of my similar feelings- when moaning about walking to lectures in the rain, Jeff would be stood there in the rain grinning, and he always said ‘hello there my angel, how about you buy the Big Issue today?’ He really does cheer people up and deserves this.

I wrote the above poem as I see many homeless people in London and one or two very regularly in the same place. It is told from the perspective of a fictional character who has only just made the step to start selling The Big Issue. The Big Issue is a social enterprise that had its 20^th birthday this year. It offers homeless people the chance to legitimately make their own money, whilst The Big Issue Foundation also offers them advice on where to go for help and services like basic healthcare.  So with the help of the Foundation it won’t be long before my man in the poem’s breath smells a bit better, cough gets a bit better. My guy wouldn’t have long before he is making some headway on the journey towards better living, providing that people buy his magazine.