None of Us Is Invisible

This week I've been very aware of street people, those people who tend to fall between the cracks.  The invisible ones.  Pat and I wrote several songs about these invisible people out of compassion, a need to understand more about them.  We've had many connections with street people since we moved to Philadelphia from the pristine woods of Maine.  It's been very interesting.
One song we co-wrote is called "The Baglady" and it's on the second August Sky cd called "Flight."  The last two verses go:

...When did she stop being visible?
When did her options dissolve?
Hundreds of people pass by her each day
Too self-absorbed to be glancing her way
And those walking by never thought to surmise
That this was a lady of mystery...
When did the world stop seeing her?
When did her life start to fade?
Why has no one counted the obstacles mounted
Why couldn't she make the grade?
And those walking by never thought to surmise
That this was a lady of mystery,
A little old girl with a history...

Today when I was busking, a street person sat himself down not far from me and proceeded to light up a cigarette.  It is now forbidden to smoke in all public indoor places in Philadelphia.  If you're invisible to begin with, and want to become noticed, just light up a cigarette in a public space.  No sooner did he do this but four cops descended on him with walkie talkies blaring and crackling.  One cop proceeded to write the man a ticket for smoking.  Like that makes sense.  I suppose the man will have to pan-handle extra hard to pay the ticket now.
Maybe it was a cry for help in this cold weather.  That is, if they had taken him and gotten him some help.  They simply made sure he left the concourse, ticket in hand.  Out into the cold, out of sight, out of mind.  I guess he could always use the ticket for a bookmark.

Then there's a song we wrote called "Through the Rain" from the perspective of a guy who's been dumped by his woman for another man.  The chorus goes

What'll I do on a rainy night
Standing all by myself
Nobody sees me, 
Nobody cares,
I'm like an empty box on a cellar shelf.

Today when I was singing the chorus, a woman was smiling as she walked by.  She winked and said, "But I see you..."
Cool.  Someone was listening.....

I don't think any of us wants to be invisible.  None of us wants to be unnoticed or unloved.  We want to leave our mark on the earth somehow.  We want to say, our existence mattered.  It was not a waste of time being here.  I write songs and share them for that reason.  I want to touch people.  For good or for bad.  Hopefully they won't feel invisible if they can relate to the lyrics somehow.  If it strikes a chord in them.
Each one of us is a mystery, each one of us has a history.