D.D. SWIFT

NFA

You told me we live in a civilised nation

but i can't hear that without finding it frustrating

cos there's something about that statement I find way beyond grating 

and its that we're so civilized that many still lack proper accommodation

while houses stand empty, cos lives are worth less than profits

and the fear of appearances at shop fronts breeds spike-strips 

to clear out the small bit of shelter from this winters grip

we've bought into capitalism with our humanity as forfeit

and it's amazing how many things we seem to take for granted

when we've got somewhere for our feet to be planted

it's like having all we need can leave us so cold heated

cos when you swap your souls for luxuries your view gets slanted

i ain't saying every one needs beds of roses and sheets of silk

bags of gold and their pockets overflowing

and ain't no mad dream about some land of honey and milk

it's about giving everyone the chance to stay safe and keep growing

see something as basic as housing should be a given human right

it shouldn't be the kind of thing for which you have to fight

you shouldn't have to beg for it or scrape and be polite

and it's not the kind of thing we should let be swept from sight

cos sleeping under the stars ain't always the fairy tale it sounds like

when it's way beyond a choice and it's the reality of daily life

when you're starving like a famine but it's not cos you're on hunger strike

it's just that life without an address is a recipe for strife

when you're huddled in a doorway hungry and frozen 

with nowhere to hide as a cold wind blows in

trying not to get swept up with the flood as is flows in

being treated like it's a life that you've willingly chosen

but this is 2019, there ain't no excuse,

no first world country should see people with no roof

we've already got the neck of our future in the noose

when we've got tent cities do you need more proof

and it's not someone else’s issue, we need to stand up and own this

cos at least two people you went to school with are probably homeless

so realize it's a problem that affects us all more or less

and if we can’t stand against it we can't be our best

just take a look with open eyes you'll be forced to confess

it's an ever growing problem that we need to squash to a flatness

see you'd need a clear mind to find a way out of this madness

but you never really sleep when the street is your mattress

and it's hard to be positive, of course life drags

when you carry all you own inside a couple of black bags

running the gauntlet hit with endless snags

cos comfort comes with unaffordable price tags

and no locked doors to keep away the fear of abuse

if we let it carry on we'll have failed our youth

we'll leave a world more concerned with cash than people having roofs

it's not a future to look forward to and that's the truth

we ain't living in a paradise where the future is sweet

with every bodies life's sorted out packaged and neat

when we've got nearly 5000 sleeping harsh on the streets

for those stuck in this life it it's where hell and earth meets

are we desensitized, the streets should be running with tears

the thought that homelessness exists should fill you with fear

when it's costing us more than 400 souls in a year

and it's our fault, we caused this, the buck stops here

one in two hundred homeless, our culture's wrecked

every year there's 4 percent more, how long till you're next

till you're seeking warmth and getting shown no respect

it could easily be a life that you yourself reflect

lets face it though, the numbers are a guess so

we'll never really know how many call the streets their home

but the numbers, day by day, are continuing to grow

why do we let this be an existence for anyone to own

it's the twenty first century, it just seems nuts to me 

that some still dream of four walls and a bed as a luxury

cos we've allowed our constant chasing and craving for currency 

to overtake our empathy and drown out decency

so look at your soul and the state of the stain

and ask yourself what s going on with your brain

when you can turn your nose up in disgust and disdain 

as a man without a home drinks a beer to stay sane

and to numb out the hold of the cold and the pain

when you walk through a world that allows you to sustain

the kind of lifestyle in which you're happy to partake and to drain

two bottles of red cos you had a bad day on the train

so before you get through your front door tonight and lock it

remember how lucky you are to have house keys in your pocket

it's not even a joke, so don't even mock it

just spare a thought for those that didn't have your luck one bit

I know you think that you'd survive the streets well, you think you're that tough

but i guarantee it's breaks you, it's more than enough

to bust your spirit, and to leave your soul crushed

after all, there's a reason that they call it sleeping rough. ***************copyright D.D. Swift 2019 D.D. Swift is a writer, musician and spoken word artist based in Milton Keynes.