William H.A. Willbond MSM, CD
HOMELESSNESS – SHAME ON US!
For years political promises have been made to us.
But we have not been forceful or made a loud fuss!
There are now new industries they have to protect?
Friends run these new places where addicts inject?
Tourists are accosted by violent bums on the street.
B&E’s are the source that their drug habits meet?
Re-open our bedlams and house the mentally ill.
Seek funding for shelters from Parliament hill?
There is a provincial election just down the road:
Fire up your reps to supply the homeless abodes.
2010 is coming fast to spend tons of your tax money.
Present homeless people on the street, it just isn’t funny!
Arrest the street thieves and drug Criminals that do the B&E’s.
Fly return those with warrants to the East if you please.
Place others with rap sheets as long as your arm
Into rehab or prison or to stop tourist industry harm.
©Copyright April 19, 2009 by William H.A. Willbond MSM, CD
Photo ©Copyright by John-Ward Leighton
Author’s Note: This poverty poem piece was inspired by the above photo taken by retired old soldier, award winning Canadian Poet and famous Vancouver Photographer John Ward Leighton, and the attached letter to the Editor of the Times Colonist Peter Scott of Victoria of April 19, 2009.
CLEAN UP DOWNTOWN OR PAY THE PRICE
Re: “Victoria’s street crime leaves tourist shocked,” letter, April 12.
The Victoria tourism industry is living on borrowed time. At any moment a reporter for an outside newspaper could discover that letter and its several predecessors, and smell a “Trouble in Paradise” article.
Minimal research would net them juicy quotes, statistics, and anecdotes. Then a slow news day would see the article syndicated to the travel sections of major outlets.
That would deal a massive blow to tourism here that would take a decade to recover from even after the problem was fixed.
Clean up downtown now, or the influx of reporters for the Olympics virtually guarantees this scenario. A city that depends on tourism for so much of its income cannot afford this sort of social experimentation.
Peter Scott, Victoria