For Jean

She wears poverty like broken in jeans
that are frayed at the bottoms
and have holes in the knees
and waits for disability to come through
so she can pay off a 40 thousand dollar hospital bill
while she visits the food banks
and wonders how to rescue her dreams.

You can't think about politics
when every ounce you have is going to simple survival.
It is a mean world
and the winter will be long and cold.

I listen
and tell.