I Had a Name Once

Barry Griffiths, Communities Officer at Jimmy’s Homeless Shelter on East Road reveals to us his own story of how he once became homeless, and how it felt to become faceless and nameless, a body on a bench.

I had a name once

I sat on a bench, home was memory past

I don’t know what happened, it was all so fast

One moment I was Barry, a person that I got

Now I am one of that homeless lot

Faceless, nameless but still alive it seemed

But not worthy of a hello it was deemed

People walk by my bench without a care

One moment I was Barry, now I’m not there

Turned into a number overnight

No conversation, no place, limited rights

Just someone alone on a bench, cold and afraid

One moment I was Barry, now a burden, mislaid

Ensuite, four beds, home, had it all you know

Now here on a bench, with nowhere to go

How do I explain how I got to this place

One moment I was Barry, now I am not even a face

Whilst sitting on the street, I picture all I have lost

Not just items and things, but the emotional cost

Where do I go to recover from this state I’m in

One moment I was Barry, now wondering where to begin

Where do I belong, what use am I now

What’s my purpose, what does my future allow

I need to find my place again, not be a weight to carry

I had a name once, in fact I’m still Barry