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According to the Merced City and County Continuum of Care, the City of Merced homeless count dropped very slightly from 318 to 310 in 2018, though the number of displaced people in Merced County rose from 454 to 514.
By: Rachel Livinal
A blanket offered to a homeless person.
Your words from the sickness
That’s been infecting your mind
And swelling your feet
Stuck in my head tonight
As I drove out of the parking lot
I saw you
Clutching the rag
That gave you some warmth
We made eye contact
And my empathy
Signaled
I needed to break the boundaries
Broadcasting our society
So I parked again
And walked up to the front
I gave you a blanket
And watched
The fear in your eyes
Escape
As the tears welled up
Sanity hit through
Only for second
But then your words clouded
And your ranting started to spew
Bipolar and Schizophrenia
You shouted out addresses
Of loved ones
Who left you
Alone with your demons
You scratched at your clothes
Infested with dirt
And clung to your body
Soaked in heroin
All drugs you thought could mask the relentless pain
In your head
You said
They wanted to put you
In an institution
But even your unawareness
Couldn’t give you the benefit
For the cold
Was blowing your feet
And socks weren’t coming
I only have
These cheese sticks
I bought in a hurry
For my lunches
I’m sure your empty stomach
Would appreciate it
As you were yelling
It would give you some strength
But cheese sticks
Can’t fix the swirls in your head
I wish I could pull out
Those memories of the streets
Instead
People in your position
Remind me of my luck
That I have a home
With a warm fresh coat
And no fear of being struck
I have no fright
Of extreme poverty
On a cold December night
Outside of a Target parking lot
I have no fright
of bare feet
and a decayed young mind
