an olive green office chair

dear you,

i sat in an olive green office chair--ya know, with the tall back that extends toward the ceiling and has big sturdy arm rests--and i stared at him. he was a lengthy fellow with dark brown hair that framed his face and a matching goatee that traced his lips like the eyeliner that traced his wife's eyes. he was scrawny and his face was hollowed out; cheekbones raised, eyes pressed back into his skull. in a way he looked like a living skeleton... but then he smiled. as his fingers traced his guitar strings he sang songs and told jokes about people he'd met in the past.

i sat in an olive green office chair and stared at him. he was a smaller, frailer man who had tightly wound curls that stayed close to his head. he had some scruff, but not anything to form a nice-looking patch of hair on his face. his dark skin was worn and his eyes were tired. he was exhausted, you see. he never had a steady job, he never had a steady relationship, he never had a steady life. he was desperate to forget. he drank a lot and any income he made went towards alcohol, trying to erase the memories from last night. he sold himself to another man, you see, just for some quick cash and a warm bed to sleep in. he sold himself to another man, you see, to feed his addiction to alcohol and loneliness.

i sat in an olive green office chair and blinked my dry eyes. afterwards, i looked for that exhausted man...but he was nowhere to be found. instead the lengthy man with brown hair and a goatee was in front of me.

could it be?

sincerely,

shae

emmaus ministries is a place where men prostitutes come to find relief from hustling. they walk with each man to help get back on track--finding a steady job, building a relationship with Christ, assisting with addictions, etc.

"stories from the streets" is a time where a couple meets with groups to share some of the men's stories with others. they do so in songs and stories. it's absolutely amazing and absolutely heartbreaking all at once. for more info go to www.streets.org