Self-Imposed Barriers

My View
Slumped over the bench,
white towel on his head.
dirty clothes,
a stuffed backpack.
Is he homeless,
living on the streets,
on drugs?
I wonder if
he's going to ask for money,
Should I buy him  a hotdog
while I'm buying lunch
for my friend and our kids?
Or will he refuse,
only wanting money
to feed a habit.

The View of the 5-Year-Old Child 
Hey, there's a man
with pigeons surrounding him,
he looks silly with that towel on his head.
Is he feeding the birds?
I'll go see.
The birds are gone.
Mom says we scared them away.

I'll go play.
Hey, that man has a bag with food,
he's feeding the pigeons.
I'll go sit with him.
Hi, my name is M--.
Thanks for the food.
We sit.
Feeding the pigeons together,
with the food in his plastic bag.
That's my mom.
Oh, thanks for sharing your food.
See ya.

My View Now
Why does it take a five-year-old child
to reach out to someone
with no walls, no barriers,
to be an instant friend?
Strangers for only a moment.
Maybe the will and love
and friendship of children,
could make the homeless long
for a home,
a family
and people to love.

Why does it take a five-year-old child
for me to step outside myself,
recognize my judging eyes
and see beyond my
self-imposed
 barriers of
   Prejudice,
     Fear,
        Bias,
            Insecurity
freeing me
to love.