Matthew J. Hall

Their Sadness and Mine


Not all the faces I saw today were sad
they just seemed that way

The older gent on the bus
with his red potato skin feet in sandals
twiddling thumbs and sighing

And the shopping cart lady
in bright white face paint
mumbling into the wind
gibberish falling from both corners of her mouth

And the sad suits
And the lonely shirts
And the brogues tapping a dreary step

Today the skateboards and roller-blades seemed a little slower
two out of every three pigeons had one broken leg
or a missing foot

Children filed out of the schools in an orderly fashion
as though they were cueing at the ballot box
or clocking out of a long day in an abattoir

Not all the faces I saw today were grey
they just seemed that way

Sure each one has their share of sadness
fair or otherwise

But for the most part it was projected
by the eyes of their beholder




what's it worth

he didn't want to see his brother walk down hells' stony path
one fucked up and chiselled out soul is enough for any family

he had plenty to answer for already
leading a little one astray would be a step too far

but the cold crow squawked loudly in his ear
and the maggots were feasting on the last quarter of his soul

the youngster pulled a crisp ten pound note from his school-trouser pocket
and that was all it took  





Matthew J. Hall is an avid reader and writer of poetry and short fiction who lives in Bristol, England. You can read more from and about Matthew on his blog, www.screamingwithbrevity.com where he regularly shares his creative endeavours and highlights the work of those he admires.

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The views and opinions expressed throughout belong to the individual artists and may or may not coincide with those of the other artists (or editors) represented within the magazine. Hobo Camp Review supports a free-for-all atmosphere of artistic expression, so enjoy the poetry, fiction, opinions, and artwork within, read with an open mind, and comment wisely. Thanks for stopping by the Camp!