ian mcdougall
  • Ian McDougall
    • Background
    • Humbled by Honour
  • Projects
    • Bloke's Lounge
    • Mentoring >
      • He said, she said
      • Helping the Homeless in more ways than one
    • Save the Post Box
    • Racism
  • Articles
    • MUSICAL MADNESS
    • MY EARLY CARS
    • This (mechanical) life
    • The Thorpe Ascension
    • Goolie grippers
    • Bewdy Bonza guide to Australia
    • Wine descriptors
    • Notes for shop assistants
  • McDoggerel
    • Political >
      • WAR IS A WHORE
      • Joe Hockey
      • Blue Ties
      • Kevin, The Musical
      • LNPeeing in their own next
      • Flegg flogged
      • Your Job
      • We're Shot to Shit
      • Can Do (A Political Pantomime)
      • Bwuce Almighty
      • Election in the Air
      • What The Hell
      • How 'ard?
      • Parly rap
      • About face, about facing the truth
    • Social issues >
      • On The Streets
      • Ready & Able
      • Where I Live
      • Telephone font
    • Here Be Demons >
      • The Truth Comes Out
      • Yeah mate, I know
      • Dread Head
      • Sometimes
      • Black Dog Barking
      • Bark you black dog
    • Other >
      • My car
      • Bloody lawn
      • Night noise
      • The Dunny
      • My Kind of Blue
      • THE CHRISTMAS FRIDGE
      • Kiss Me
      • The Stick
      • Magpie mornings
      • Delhi belly
      • Hinkum booby
      • GRIEF IS THE PRICE OF LOVE
      • Darts for Old Farts
      • Surfers ain't paradise
      • The March
      • CALLIPYGOUS
      • Bangalow Markets
      • Meanderthals
      • Four small words
      • Bessie
      • The Devil Drives a Prado
      • Desert Dawn 1991
      • Your Mobile Phone
      • Your Honour
      • The Tellie
      • I Hate The Train
    • Haiku >
      • Blokey haiku
      • Hospital haiku
      • Other haiku
  • People
    • Surf legend
    • On ya bike, Mal!
    • VALE >
      • Vale: Roger Crook
      • Vale: Nev Brough
      • Vale: Ron Dix
      • Vale: Joan Small
      • Vale: Dal Withers
    • Lieut Clarry McDougall MC >
      • Race meeting at the front
      • March to the Rhine
      • Daybreak surprise
      • Cooyar Cenotaph unveiled
    • J.F. McDougall - Queenslander >
      • J.F. McDougall - family stuff
    • Partners in Recovery >
      • Getting it out there
      • Funky postcards hit the streets
      • Phil's pouches popular
      • New life for Naomi
      • There's magic in music
      • Lessons from the edge of darkness
      • Crafting a future
      • From misery to happiness
      • Dominique - Shades of day
    • Book People >
      • Matthew on road to recovery
      • #1 Kevin Jones
      • #2 Melissa and Ann
      • #3 David Oldfield
      • #4 Multicultural moments
      • #5 Peter Burt
      • #6 Brendan Lauritz
      • #7 Matthew's mutt
      • #8 Dal loves his Wilburs
      • #9 Books found
      • #10 New shoes, new vigour, new hope
      • #11 Up there for thinking
      • #12 Jo's lessons
      • #13 Cowboy takes teens on reality ride
  • Out & about
  • Grumpy Old Fart
On the streets

I am young and I am angry
I don’t know what to do
I’m confused about what path to take
about what I am, or who

My parents didn’t want me
Into foster care I went
No judgment, only love and care
These homes were heaven sent

But foster care is foster care
Became more pepper than salt
I rebelled against those people, too,
Even though it was not their fault

I took to wandering here and there
With others, also homeless
We did the things we had to do
And became a little lawless

Depression is a common theme
Mental illness … it is rife
Frustration, anger, low esteem
becomes a recipe for strife

We beg, we lie, we even steal
To get some food to eat
Survival is the driving force
When you’re living on the street

Didn’t take long, in desperation
We take to drugs to drink
The lack of trust, suspicion, fighting
soon took us to the brink.

Alone is what you want to be
But it’s love you really seek
Acceptance is a life saver
When you’re living on the street

You hunger for a warm embrace
your soul it aches for love
until finally, in desperation, you
pray to whomever’s above

We’re all together on the street
One creed, one mob, one race
The uniting bond that we all share
The desperation on our face

Cold concrete chills your brittle bones
Empty stomach knots up tight
You’d even sign a devil’s pact
To make it through the night

Doctors, lawyers, engineers
You’ll ne’er know who you’ll meet
all the lost souls, ever searching
When you’re living on the street

We love the late night visits
From the community volunteers
We’d raise a toast and cheer them on
if we could afford the beers

The Sallies come, and Rosie’s, too
The most welcoming of crews
Offering dinner, shoes and sleeping mats
And a cup of warming brew

So one and all extend your hand
We’re friendly, we won’t bite!
With friendship, trust and, yes, some love
We’ll turn darkness into light

Hopes and dreams they come and go
It’s our outlook we must beat
To dig within, and find the strength
And walk proudly off the street.

eoin macdhugail 2011©
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