I wrote this poem tonight as I sit in a hotel in Hampton, VA between sessions at a teacher conference with NASA (more, exciting stuff on that to follow!)

This poem, like others, and many of my stories, too, just came to me and I had to write it down.
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It is based on events that have actually happened to me, true details from my life, and the details about the beggar man are true, with the exception of the amount of money I gave him (I don't remember the exact amount. ) and the more magical details, obviously. In reality I have no idea what happened to the man. I left him to the care of other charitable humans at the festival and never saw or heard about him again. I was much younger then and now wish I had taken him to a hospital, a shelter, or SOMETHING. Or at least have been involved in the effort. I have never told anyone I did any of this before now.  One of my brothers was with me when this happened, but I don't remember which one. In any case, this poem ought to serve as a parable for how to treat others and help them. This man in all likelihood in the real world was not magical nor Odin, but an ill-fated homeless man. Maybe I at least made his life slightly brighter for just a fraction of time. But I will never know and it is not for me to know.

For the record, I don't write and post this to  try to self-promote as a wonderful person or anything (not that anybody was thinking that) but rather because I think everyone ought to act this way, ideally, especially when someone literally reaches out and calls to you to help them, and especially when it is someone so obviously in dire straits and need. If everyone did that, perhaps one day there would be no one like this on the streets. Then, think, just think for a moment, if you will, where we would be... in the meantime read this poem, enjoy it, and I hope it brings you some sort of edification that you can live and act by and use to help improve the lives of others.

The poem is contained below in a .pdf. 

Yours always,

​T.D. Smith 7/13/2018

I decided to make Star Rangers, the story based on a cartoon I used to draw with a friend way back in elementary school, into a trilogy of short stories! The adventures of Captain Crimson Falcon and Euleana continue in this installment of the story, "Star Rangers: Trepidation."

The story is in a .pdf below. Enjoy!

-T.D. 7/11/2018