Sloth

(Sloth: is the neglect to take care of something that one should do)

57th street
down town chicago,
he's walking at a casual pace,
early, as usual,
he's ten minutes
around the corner from work,
an office building,
the headquarters
of a big banking firm.

He reaches the traffic lights
and turns left onto 56th
and out the corner of his eye
his catches a glimpse
of a young man being beaten
by three others, dressed in black.

But still he walks
doing nothing to aid
the man being beaten.

When he gets home that evening,
he throws his jacket
on the coat stand,
which wobbles as his coat lands,
his son, who is at the top of the stairs
calls to him, for guidance,
but he just says
'not tonight son.'

In true nature of his sin
this man ignorance
that which needs to be done.

He is sloth.