yesterday on the streets ..

i walked into town yesterday
hung out on the streets for a few hours with my cam
watched
clicked
walked
sat
listened

i keep telling myself
i need to spend more time in the streets
and this reinforced it

i saw this girl
gave her something
asked if i could take a pic from behind so i didn't show her face
and walked away
she looked so young ..
i went back and asked her how old she was
18

i kept walking
shooting
watching

this obviously homeless woman walked by
her hair done in a classy swept fashion
dress
boots
i think she saw me notice her
her demeanour picked-up
she walked by and stopped 30 or 40 feet away
i realized she probably saw me look at her, so i turned away, talking to my friend on the phone
suddenly there was this verbal explosion
loud
angry
for all of a minute
i couldn't understand what she was saying
neither could i understand what just happened
.. .   .   .. .


there were street-musicians

some of them very good
children dancing to the music
some people drop money into the guitar case

someone sitting alone
under a tree
staring off into their distance
thinking, maybe
reminiscing, maybe
wishing  ?




some kid
stuff by a bench
writing

and Cloud Dancer
or Star Gazer
or whoever, i forget
been on the street for many years
can roll with one hand
extrovert
likes to chat

i learned i know very little about people
especially my homeless friends

i need to know
i want to know
it doesn't bode well to be trying to help people when i don't understand them much
their motivation
their attitudes
problems
worldview

i keep telling myself
i need to spend more time in the streets

i intend to

for them
for Jesus
for kingdom

~|~   .. .