time-to-time

gerald sleeps on a bench in our town

in the night - when I’m safe - warm
tucked up in bed. close. with you.

he’s out there - cold - hungry -
alone.

I think about him -
time-to-time.

image; Art Johnstone. ‘Gerald’. Waihi New Zealand. I think about him time-to-time…

He lives in our town.

I chat with him; time-to-time.

Late one afternoon I saw Gerald sleeping on the bench in the beautiful Autumn sunshine. I was on my way to pick someone up. I’d stopped right alongside; he was dozing. I did smile. In the nicest way he reminded of an old dog soaking up the last of the vernal sun. He looked across at me….I looked away…….I was on a mission.

The reality is that I do see him; often. And we do chat.
I’ll buy him food, drinks etc. He’s given me some lovely stories - he has given to me! Freely.

We’ve had interesting interactions. I bought him a cooked chicken one day. He didn’t know I was doing that. I came out of the supermarket to give it to him, but he’d gone! So I spent the next 10 mins riding around Waihi with a cooked chicken looking for him!!! (which did make me smile). It also made my hands red. It was really hot!

I gave him a card too, for our local supermarket, I put some money on it. I asked him not to spend it all on drink.

Funny thing; quite a few of those pious people I knew as a child bought booze…and drugs (nicotine) and died as a consequence.

Reality is; I’m living a life in partial accordance - their pious values - instilled in me.

‘Don’t give your pocket money to her -
she’ll only spend it on cigarettes’.

Values that allow you to smoke yourself to death, with impunity - but would criticise others for using ‘a wee dram’ to do the same - there is a difference between them and us. (my mother died of lung cancer after a lifetime smoking. A pious lady)

So I do what I can - I help Gerald - and I help myself -

time-to-time.

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