Statue of a homeless man

they wanted to erect it
in front of city hall
it seemed appropriate
but the council was embarrassed
at the stir it would cause;
they tried putting it in queen's park
right outside the legislature
but it was not a provincial matter
and besides, said the mpps, it's too political

they tried outside a church
- they wanted it inside a church -
finally they plonked it on the corner
six feet of bronze and pigeon shit
and no one kept it clean
and no one watered the roses

he wasn't a great man
or a rich man
even a brave man

so why do we cast him in bronze
what did he ever do?

but everyone who saw it
knew that it sure belonged
and was right
and was clever and brilliant and ironic

occasionally a young child
approached and read the inscription
'dedicated to the less fortunate'
and the next moment he was
spitting on a hobo
'how appropriate, how appropriate'