A man was laying, slumped on the stairs
That go down into the subway
He looked up at us
His yellow eyes and dark face
As I was walking down
I stopped and asked him if he needed help
He looked at me
A face swollen and one eye infected or gone
And said painfully
I just need a coffee
I said "Oh, okay," then left him alone
He needed much more than a coffee
I told the operator about the man on the stairs
Got on the train and burst into tears