Sad Bags

There's a man in the Village

Who asks for cash
To get him some cider -
Look, now he's at the trash.
He feels the cold,
He feels the pain,
But I've just walked right past him, again.

There's a woman in the street
Who says hello.
You'd think these people
Would have somewhere else to go.
She asks me politely
To join her in the cafe,
But all I can do is smile and look the other way.

There are people out at night
Throughout the year.
Why do I wish that they'd
Move out of here?
I can't feel compassion,
I can't even feel bad,
I'm so comfortable, I can only feel a little sad.


Birmingham, winter 1986/87

[The Village is Moseley, a suburb of Brum full of students, authors and
psychiatric patients. And this was before community care.]