A Shoe Fixer's Dignity

A Shoe Fixer's Dignity

In the Parish of Orleans
Lower Ninth Ward
lives a gentle soulful man
amongst the molded,
boarded plain folks' homes.

Elderly, but not so much so to tell me
(and just about anyone else who'd listen)
"I fixed shoes.Ya'll see.
Right over there
just around the corner"
from the ply-wooded Walgreens.
And for years,
he worked hard but with dignity.

Now?
Well mostly he feels lonely,
most of his neighbours unreturned,
and he has a need for company.
"Ya'll see.
Right over there,
just around the corner"
he had his dignity.
The shoe store flooded,
gutted, and long closed
since Katrina hit land
from sea.

So, we volunteers,
sponsored by the Diocese of New Orleans,
hand him some water,
a can of food,
and some other simple things
but we really wonder when will his friends return
to bring him back his dignity?
In New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward
and next door St. Bernard Parish,
it seems there are tens of thousands
of gentle, soulful folk.
All have their own tale to tell:

"Ya'll see.
Right over there
just around the corner"
our brothers and sisters
all crave some dignity.

Who'll give it to them if not you
or not me?

August 2007