While Jeremiah and I sat the Prospect Loungeoverlooking La Jolla Cove,
we looked down to see
this homeless man getting "set up" below us.
He tucked his leather briefcase
under a pile of blankets behind him.
He pulled out a yellow pail,
grabbed a dollar from his wallet,
and dropped it in the bucket.
Then he started working on his sign.
Once he was situated, he sat there
and waited for passer-bys to share the wealth.
And as they did,
he'd wait for them to walk away,
remove the money from the bucket,
and count it before tucking it into his shirt pocket.
Leaving his pail pitifully bare.
Sadness filled my heart.
