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We’re not here to count the homes where you’ve run
We don’t even care where you come from.
We know you’re not smart because you act dumb
Under occupation we’ll just list street bum.
We can’t count all
the jobs that you’ve lost
Or the homes they took away from you
When you couldn’t keep up with the cost.
There is no place
to list the fingers
You lost from the frost.
You say the lucky ones sleep in a box
Someone tossed.
We are counting the
homeless tonight
And if they answer
each question just right
Then we’ll know if
they count
By their total
amount
And by counting
we’ll make things all right
Just by counting
we’ll make things all right
We are counting the
homeless tonight
It is easier to
find them in the dark
Than the light
The shelter was so
crowded
They only heard us
when we shouted
Be careful you
don’t get caught up in that fight
The one on the
corner can’t be more than fourteen
She’s worked hard
for the title Miss Beauty Queen
When she closes her
eyes is it ever serene?
Are we just a part
of her bad dream.
We never thought to
ask how much you cry
Or what happened to
that child in your eyes.
We don’t know all
about the people who lied
And we have no
answers when you ask why.
We are counting the
homeless tonight.
It’s not up to us
if it’s wrong or it’s right
There is more of
them than I thought
I’ll put that in my
report
I wonder if there’s
an ending in sight
I don’t want to
have a piece of your stale bread
I don’t have a
blanket for the sidewalk
You call bed
After I go when you
lay down your head
I can’t look back
to see if you’re dead
I can’t look back.
We are counting the
homeless tonight
And if they answer
each question just right
Then we’ll know
that they count
By their total
amount
And by counting
we’ll make things all right
Just by counting
we’ll make things all right
Copyright 1992, Sandy T. Streid
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