Angel’s Unaware

It was 1973, when I first saw her on the bench,
beneath the tree, on the median strip,
I had just started a job, at Katie’s Cafe,
after coming back to town, from a trip,

There she would sit, day in and day out,
with her grocery cart, at her side,
All of her possessions, stuffed into the cart,
on that park bench did the ‘Lady’, reside,

Folk’s came to dine, at Katie’s Cafe,
some would laugh, at the ‘Lady’ out there,
I’d peek out the window, at the poor old soul,
with the sad wrinkled face, and grey hair,

At times, I would sneak her a sandwich,
a cup of coffee, slice of cake, just a taste,
Cause everyday, they tossed out the leftovers,
and it grieved me, to see such waste,

One evening, just about closing time,
I was gathering, the ‘Lady’ a bite,
When Katie crept up behind me, and saw,
she spoke,”Tonight will be your last night,”

I told her,”It will just be thrown out,
better to give it, than to throw it away,”
Kate responded,”This is a business,
I can’t feed, all the neighborhood strays,”

Well I gathered my purse, then paused at the door,
spoke,”There’s something I need to share,
be sure to be kind, to strangers Kate,
for we entertain angels, unaware,”

Kate never replied, so I went to my room,
upstairs, at the Empress Hotel,
Got ready for bed, and turned out the light,
when I heard the first siren, wail,

I heard people, running in the hallway,
so I went to my window, and looked down,
There at the backdoor, of Katie’s Cafe,
lay a body, sprawled out on the ground,

I pressed through the crowd, to find Katie,
she shook, with confusion on her face,
There lay the cart, by the ‘Lady’,
her possessions strewn, all over the place,

“A man came out of nowhere, and so did she,”
Katie said, with a tear in her eye,
“She ran him down, just to save me,
now she’s dead,” I heard Katie cry,

“You were right, in your words, about strangers,
to help them, and not pass them by,
This ‘Lady’ was a stranger, and an angel,
but I never knew, an angel could die.”

So be sure to be kind, to strangers,
You don’t know, when you may be in need,
You can harvest from fields, of friendship,
But you must first plant, ‘angels’ seed.

                    c.d.m.    5-2-11