Perspectives.

A few days ago
I was sitting outside
on a bench, in the cold.

An old man came up to me
"Are you waiting for a bus?"

"No"

"How are you?"

"Good, cold, hah"

He proceeded to ask me my major,
I told him photojournalism.
He said he was on the front page
of the journal sentinel
a few years ago.
A story about the homeless
and mentally ill in Milwaukee.

He told me he's not homeless anymore.

He took a sip from his coffee
and a drag from his cigarette
Then he sat and told me about his life.

How he was addicted to
crack,
heroin,
and alcohol.
for 15 years.

How he told his mom
he would never do drugs.

He had a frozen wet streak
coming from his eye
reaching midway down his cheek.
I don't know if it was because
it was cold,
or because of what he was telling me.

He watched two people die
of heroin overdoses
and said
anyone who he's ever been friends with
is either in jail,
or dead.

He said Jesus saved his life.