KIDS VANISHING INTO THE NIGHT

 

It’s 1AM, minus 28 windchill, end of my shift. We almost ran out of food tonight. There are more teens living on the streets of Montreal than in my entire decade on the front lines. I brought bottled water, socks, blankets, all of which are difficult for me to carry at my age, but the weight they carry is far heavier. I show up because they show up and as I get into my car, start the engine and pump the heat, I wonder where they will find shelter and warmth and whether they will reappear in the morning light. We rise by lifting others.