Like a blanket, the cold wraps around me, smothering me in an unwelcome hug. 

 With only a cardboard sheet for warmth, 
 I lie down on the frozen pavement.

The freezing night drags by, 
 with it flees my courage. 
 Once there was a passion that burned so fiercely in my soul. 
 Now it is all gone, swept away with the wind.

I would be so grateful if someone dropped a single coin. 
 You take a dollar for granted, 
 but to me it is worth my life. 
 Is that life really worth living?

My stomach rumbles in tune with the thunder 
 as its sings its songs in the sky. 
 I turn and I toss, 
 as the heat is drained away from my limp body.

As the darkness envelops me, 
 I close my eyes. 
 Would anyone miss me, 
 if I never wake up?

Several times I wake up in the night. 
 The meow of a stray cat, 
 a creak as a building settles for the night, 
 always awakes me from a fitful sleep.

After a restless night filled with bad dreams and worry, 
 I wake up at dawn, 
 cold and stiff,
 just as the sun creeps over the hill.

What will this day bring? 
 Dirty looks, hunger? 
 Misery, hatred? 
 Why can’t you treat me with respect?

I am living a life of fear, 
 coldness and hurt. 
 But no one seems to care. 
 I am just a n­­obody, in your eyes.

Bridget Morriss, 12, of Villa Maria College, loves horse riding, exploring the great outdoors, reading and writing creative stories