I read somewhere that if you're going to die
you should die with your boots on
and if you do, then your death would MEAN something.
Which doesnt nessecarily mean that if you pull on a pair of rubbers
and get run over by a truck,
you'll get a million dollar funeral service and a plaque somewhere
it just means that if you're brave
and you think with your heart instead of breaking someone elses skull
just to save yours
then you're someone worth writing a poem about.

A month ago, my friend Driver got his head kicked in
Nobody noticed, because it's one less street rat to deal with
it's one less homeless to house
it's some guy, in an alley
who ended up with a skull to the curb
and grey matter leaving a red splatter on the cement

it wasnt on the news that he was a hero
because he stood his ground and remained non-violent
when this guy punched him cause he didnt have any cash
to feed his crack habit
Because Driver isnt that kind of hero
and cest la vie
because humanity is LIKE THAT.
because Driver was the kind of hero you want a hug from
when somebody kicks you down
not the kind of humanity-salvation-hero you see on TV
because Driver lived on the streets, therefore
must have been a violent drug addict and a theif
but what I'VE seen, is that
HUMANITY'S SALVATION is tearing apart a dumpster
just so your stomach stops eating itself when the drugs run out
humanity's salvation is that in 2004
the government cut the majority of UNDERAGE safehouses
so all the homeless kids 15 and under
went back to their quiet alleys and stranger's hotel rooms.
salvation is Driver taking care of me when I was 15 and slept under a bush
salvation is him giving me his only blanket at four am
in OCTOBER because my lips were blue and he at least had shoes from the salvation army.
salvation was Driver waiting in line at 3 different free-hot-meal places
so we could bring something back for Shadow because even 35 year old
cancer patients end up on the curb because
they CANT PAY THEIR HOSPITAL BILLS
and who the fuck is going to take care of THEM
when we're all worried about missing the next episode of
america's next top model
or our score at the next poetry slam
and I'm no saint, I'm just trying to say something
because nobody else will
I'm trying to say that compared to you, me, and the rest of the city
and every Humanity's Salvation HERO you could ever imagine

Driver was fucking JESUS
he walked on water by giving his place in line for hot soup in the park
to someone HALF HIS SIZE
he preformed miracle healing by standing up for people
who couldnt stand up for themselves like ME
because when I was on the street, I wouldn't have lasted a week
if he hadn't shown me how to feed myself
without climbing into some creepy guy's SUV

Which is more than most people can say about some
rich christian fireman fuck who gets his face on the screen
for dumping sand on a flaming stovetop
or some soldier who got shot in the head because
those heavey army helmets are for wimps.

and Jesus may have died for our sins
and war vets may have died for our freedom
but Driver
was a soldier fighting for a bed to sleep in
and Driver
was a saint because he'd give that bed to someone who needed it more
and Driver
DIED with his BOOTS ON.