She has gray hair and sleeps in the doorway. She fits her back into it, concave, her face out for safety.
Sitting on her bedding at 8:30 in the morning, she packs her small troupe of possessions for the day.
Where does she go until the evening? Why does she choose this street busy with restaurants?
The second morning I pass by she talks to a friend. Today the storefront windows lined with brown paper. A new business will move in.
Easier to find food where there are restaurants?
saint facetious recently posted..canadians and dirty hippies
That’s a good point. Though I never saw her begging on the street, just sleeping on it.
Beth Partin recently posted..MonHaibun: Ballard in the morning
This is beautiful, Beth, without a thread of maudlin sentiment in sight. I can see her, see the setting. When you said that a new business was moving in, I wondered and worried about where she might go next. As for why she sleeps there, I had the same thought as Saint Facetious. The trash bins behind restaurants are a good place to find food. Also, the air tends to be warmer near restaurant doors that open and close at night (at least for a while). And after people have a good meal, they might feel more inclined to give a handout – maybe so much so that she needn’t beg, because people simply offer.
Thanks, Cara. I hadn’t thought of the doors. And, of course, I saw her only a few times. Now I wish I’d paid more attention to exactly when and where she was there.
Beth Partin recently posted..Burmese food a subtle delight