The First Step

A siren keening in the distance

dirty needles in a ditch

a brawl outside a bar

a group of junkies walk past

whispering plans

to rob a bell-ringing volunteer

on a street corner

one shakes his head

and walks away

that's just going too far

he says

they never dreamed

he's come back to defend

so the others attack

under dissillusioned strings

of coloured lights

his face is a mask of pain

but he brings back a group of

students out for coffee

Good Samaritans

who subdue the sick kids

a cop arrives to take them away

he stops to talk to the hero

who isn't all that different from

the ones he stood up to

skinny

hollow eyes

sores on his face

one thing

a light that says he's bouncing

from when he just hit bottom

fifteen minutes ago

the cop talks to him quietly

and gives him a card and flyer

he calls someone on his cell

and tells the boy that

someone will come to meet him in an hour

the cop stays

gives the kid a coffee

waiting to see

how high

this one will bounce