I’M GRATEFUL (2018)
By Sharon Randle
I knew the day would come soon.
At last I have keys to a clean quiet room.
Thank you for all the gifts you’ve given.
I’m grateful to have a safe place to live in.
Enjoying my comfort, grateful for space,
Looking ahead to a much larger place.
Grateful for the money, the clothes and the food,
And everything else that makes my life good.
I really enjoy greeting people I meet
Knowing I no longer live on the street.
Giving a smile when I sit for awhile,
Willing to go that extra mile.
As my day starts out sunny and clear,
I thank God for you and all things dear.
Grateful to have a brand new start.
Thank you, everybody, from the bottom of my heart.
There’s nothing better than peace of mind.
I’m healthy today and doing just fine.
So grateful for positive people in my life,
Lessons learned that have made things right.
You added me to your Christmas list
Let me thank you with a hug and a kiss.
I’m grateful to come to this place I know,
Much happier today: I’m good to go.
Writing fulfills my goals and dreams,
And truly lifts my self-esteem.
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading each line,
You can tell how much I love to rhyme.
Most of all I thank God when I pray
For letting me live another day.
I KNOW A PLACE (2001)
By Sharon Randle
Homeless I am, but I know a place where
I feel safe. I can put on my happy face, yes
I see this place as lilies in the valley …Blooming
buds of people, pets and kids, this place I know
is sweet like cookie dough …A community with
unity, these lilies lend a hand wherever I stand…
not just money, food and clothes …A scent in
the air gives a feeling of care.
I know a place, a smile is all it takes to grow
flowers every hour. It lets me know every day
I’d rather go, when I’m down I rush to the other
side of town, whatever it takes to get to this place…
Let me mention I embrace the attention, a hello,
a nod of the head, a laugh or giggle from the tots
coming and going near parking lots.
This place has elegant taste, not giving a sad
face. I thank god for the beauty it brings, listening
to the birds as they sing, I don’t worry about a
thing because this valley keeps me away from a
filthy alley …What I feel is real, I don’t
have to steal because I’m not broke or down and
out …This, I will shout without a doubt
I do know this place.
Sharon’s “I Know a Place” was first published in the Jan. 1-14, 2011, Street Sheet, a monthly tabloid published by the Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco.
