Every day he stands at the freeway entrance, squinting into the sun, back bent slightly, shoes worn through long ago. His sign reads, &quot;Homeless vet, anything helps. God bless.&quot; The gleaming string of cars stretches up and runs to the horizon. The fumes of their idling engines choke him. Behind him, cars scream by, rushing to slow down as they catch traffic. At his side is all that he owns: a coat, an upturned hat, a blanket, and a pack of smokes. He shifts from his left leg to his right, stiff and sore from another night on the concrete. A window rolls down, an arm reaches, hand closed, palm down. He shuffles to the hand, cups both of his underneath, and receives his prize. Cracked lips manage a smile. &quot;God bless.&quot; Barely a nod, he hears the words _good_ _luck_ as the Toyota speeds off. He glances at the treasure in his leathery hands, a single quarter, and flips it into the hat as he positions the sign. 2007-10-20T20:50:54Z http://ficlets.com/feed/story/11580 <p>this sounds like a weird compliment, but, I like your sentence structure! <br /> ; ))</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/11580?basename=18828 2007-10-20T20:50:54Z Blossom Ruoqen http://ficlets.com/authors/stainedglasstears <p>some of our homeless have made a career of it around here, they make good money. Your homeless man seems very realistic, though. Good writing! Paints a bleak picture.</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/11580?basename=18023 2007-10-16T22:43:36Z Mistress Elsha Hawk http://ficlets.com/authors/mistress_elsha_hawk <p>I like the present tense . Very emotional as Alexa said. I&#8217;ll think of your ficlet next time I am in Philly as I give a quarter to a homeless person.</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/11580?basename=18019 2007-10-16T22:24:49Z SKermitgorf http://ficlets.com/authors/kermitgorf <p>Sad yet realistic portrayal of a bleak life with little hope.</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/11580?basename=17995 2007-10-16T21:16:06Z Batak Beatrix http://ficlets.com/authors/batakbeatrix <p>Very realistic and emotional.</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/11580?basename=17984 2007-10-16T21:04:52Z Alexa ♥ http://ficlets.com/authors/alexa1018