I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
We’re celebrating another ¤ JohnnyO Gratitude Day! ¤

FIRST LIGHT
by John Olander

How does one conjure joy and light
from the darkest of nights?
Especially when every fiber in your being screams,
‘This is not right.’
A person, a soul, who meant much to many,
Gone too soon, little recognition, if any.
Each with unique talents,
Thinking of others,
And our humble group will miss our sisters and brothers.
But our departed friends are holding the whole card, you know.
They’re already smiling from where we want to go.
For those who may feel they don’t have what it takes,
For those whose resolve may need a little shake,
From Heaven above, they’ll continue to shine.
Their prayers and support will help us all age like fine wine.
If there’s a day you don’t have enough fight,
Just think first of others and do what is right.
Because they’ll be our Angels looking down with insight.
Just contemplate their wonderful gifts.
They left us all at FIRST LIGHT.
-John Olander

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One of our most generous contributing artists, John Olander (aka Johnny O.), wrote this beautiful poem for the 2017 Homeless Memorial Day service in Denver. John has had to say goodbye to many friends every year due to the hardships of life on the street. It was first featured on Gems 4.67 in 2018.

Here is some information from 2017 about homelessness and the mortality rate for those forced to live on the street, as John was in 2017 and had been frequently in and out of homelessness since 1994.

Compared to the general population, people who experience homelessness are at greater risk of infectious and chronic illnesses, poor mental health, and substance abuse. They are also more often victims of violence, before and during homelessness. Homeless persons also have a mortality rate four to nine times higher than that of those who are not homeless. With an estimated 40 million Americans living in poverty, 19 million experiencing housing insecurity, and 28 million without health insurance, the risk of homelessness and poor health is a concern for 1 out of 8 Americans.

In January 2017, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), coordinated by the local HUD-funded continuum of care (CoC) programs, conducted the Point-in-Time (PIT) survey to identify and estimate the United States’ sheltered and unsheltered homeless. According to the report 553,742 people in the United States experienced homelessness on a single night in 2017.* This number translated to a U.S. homeless rate of 17/10,000, where 33 percent of those homeless were families with children, and within those families, 59% were children under 18 years of age.

(The former source link for the above from 2017 is no longer available on the CDC site.)

(Emphasis added.)

Data from 2024: As of January 2024, approximately 771,480 people in the United States experienced homelessness, which represents an increase of 217,638 people who have no home and who are living on the street in the past seven years.

We need to do better. For my part, I am going to try to figure out how (as President Teddy Roosevelt advised so well) to do what I can with what I have where I am. If you have ideas on how to help, I’d love to hear your thoughts, too.

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In his current role as an advocate for the unhoused, John still sees loss and death, but he also sees wins, rebirth, and new beginnings.

Thank you, John, for sharing this beautiful poem and for helping so many throughout your life, regardless of circumstance. Your story of recovery and triumph fills me with gratitude every time I think of you, which is often. You are a beacon of hope.

I hope we have a lovely weekend.

♥. Niki Flow