Hand Washing, Glasgow Central

Gold cherry
Poem of the week

By Di_Hard

Mon, 01 Mar 2021
  • 5028 reads
25 comments
 

Unfortunately, our ferry got in late

because of the wind, so we missed the train

we needed, to get to his appointment, but

fortunately I had emergency money. As we left

the station's scrupulously clean imposing entrance

with the free handsanitizing stands

there was another boy, just his age, his hair colour,

his skin, even his eyes (I don't know about his height

as he was sitting under a torn foil blanket

beside the railings) holding an empty polystyrene cup

cleaner than his pale hands - not the kind of dirt I know

from planting things, but that of many days and nights

where washing is not high on the list of things

that must be done, or even can. Fortunately I had enough

to spare a pound. I expected, in this time

of social distancing, that he'd offer up the cup, but

his hand reached out, politely careful not to touch mine

as his fingers curled round the coin, and he looked me in the eye

and then my son, and said "Thankyou very much" as if

we were benefactors out of Dickens

and  "I will spend it wisely, I promise!" smiling (he had no mask)

the way my son does when he says he has no homework

(but he does) and it's the most beautiful thing

full of light and teasing

then we got a taxi to the appointment

where we washed our hands

and when we came back, he was gone

but it was snowing and so cold waiting for the train

I could not feel my hands

 

 

 

 

 

this poem is about something that happened in January, and was was written after reading Ewan's inspiring poem Nocturne :

https://www.abctales.com/story/ewan/nocturne

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

It sounds like your help was a comfort to him with his words of gratitude.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou, Jenny. I wish I could have taken him home! But I doubt he would have wanted that. And we don't have a spare room, or a sitting room really.  I wanted to give him the money left from the taxi, on the way back. I keep thinking 1£ is not enough for a meal

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

The comparison between the two boys makes this even sadder. I hope he has found somewhere warm and safe - something everyone deserves

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Me too! Thank you very much  for the cherries. It was scary how alike they were. They must have been the same age. He should have been choosing subjects for Highers, thinking about uni instead of if enough people give him something to get a hot drink. He has stayed in my mind since we went,in January (it was Ewan's poem made this). It is such a prominant position right outside the station that authorities must be aware of him

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Contrast of the simplicity of unwashed hands, those of someone seemingly uncared-for, with the constantly hand-sanitized hands encouraged at present.— but all feel the cold of the snow. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Exactly! Rhiannon that's it.Thank you for reading.

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Agree with insert - the contrast with your son makes it all the more poignant. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou Onemorething. I think that got to my son, too. Seeing faces of homeless they are often tough, or shut up inside, to be able to cope, but he wasn't like that, yet. His eyes still smiled. I keep worrying what has happened to him since then

 

Submitted by marandina on

The Pandemic and the homeless - more questions raised about why this is so prevalent in this day and age. It shouldn't be. A thought provoking and well written poem :)

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

It really shouldn't! You are SO RIGHT!!! Thank you Paul for taking the time to read and leave such a great comment

 

Submitted by Ross_Lowe on

What a beautifully sad and poignant piece. I hope the little lad is okay. 

Thank you for sharing this.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou Ross, I do, too. Writing this won't have helped him in the tiniest bit, whereverr he is. At least the weather is warmer now. I don't know whether he would be safer in lockdown or better if more people are around to give money

 

Submitted by celticman on

very sad indeed that we have such stories to tell. I could tell you more. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

There is an amazing brilliant woman where we live, who started the foodbank. She would know what to do, who to contact. But this is a small town. In Glasgow, every time we go through that station there's another person sitting there, and that's only one place, one tiny window into a terrifying other world. Thankyou for reading and commenting. This was a superficial piece of writing, your stories go deeper

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This is our Poem of the Week - Congratulations!

It's also our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day

Please share/retweet if you liked it as much as I did

Picture Credit: https://tinyurl.com/n7xm3byj

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thank you very much. I keep thinking about him.

 

Submitted by drew_gummerson on

I love its simplicity, that of a single moment. But it's so moving. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou Drew. I wish I had been of some practical help. It is good to know that it moved you, it is so kind of you to comment

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

So interesting and moving. Sometimes a stranger, in a poorer circumstance than your own, can really connect with you and when than happens you don't forget them. I know that kind of dirt that isn't of the earth, it's filth. How do these souls survive the cold temperatures? It's something like returning to the wild, only in an urban environment and if Dickens came here now he would see that nothing changed, and if it did then it went full circle.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou for your thoughtful comment Jane. Yes, sitting in the cold when every instinct must telling you to move about, having to be passive when you need attention so much. I guess uinlike the wild, a homeless person on the streets is worse off perhaps than the animals that choose to live alongside because these are better adapted to survive.

Also humans are prey to other humans in cities.

 

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

This is brilliantly done, Di.  Like all the best poetry, a deceptively simple tone builds an incredibly complex picture.  One incident, one person, summing up so much about the state of things.  I wish I could say the state of things 'at the moment', but this has been going on for a long time and will continue to do so after the pandemic.  Great writing.  Thank you.

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou so much!

Am amazed how many people have read this? Do you think it would be ok to put a link to a soup kitchen in Glasgow, for people to donate to if they wanted to help? Then something good might come of what happened. Will take it off if not ok

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/hundreds-queue-glasgow-city-centre-19...

https://localgiving.org/donation/h4thhelp4thehomeless

https://h4th.org.uk/thank-you

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

No problem with any of those links - one of our founders was John Bird who created the Big Issue!  People need all the help they can get.

Submitted by hudsonmoon on

 A beautiful and heartfelt writing, DH. So more people out on the streets of New York these day. You try to do your bit, but you know it's not nearly enough. 

Rich

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou very much Hudson. You are in the thick of it there. Have been saying up reading your Craven stories  because I like lots at once :0)

I hope you have a Happy Easter