RIP ‘Lil Bit’: Chicago homeless rights community mourns one of its own

“Lil Bit [Noreen ‘Lil Bit’ Morehead] was a great woman who been through a lot of changes in life. But I know she was a strong and intelligent woman who cared about helping people, all people, especially the homeless people. She was a great poet and loved her children. She was a great friend and I will always carry her in my heart and continue the work she has done for our Union, that’s the Chicago Union of the Homeless.” — Bonnie Contreras, President, Chicago Union of the Homeless

Below is one of ‘Lil Bit’s’ poems:

I have to steal to get by
I have to panhandle to get by
Where’s my house
Where’s my food
I get tired of sandwiches and fruit
I like mashed potatoes, greens & steak
and something besides chicken
I try to keep warm with blankets and
clothes but we’re still dying because
that’s not enough / I hate seeing
people living in hallways and
doorsteps and in tents
where is their housing / give us all housing
how many homeless have to die before
somebody step in / to me this is modern
day genocide and who’s gonna pay
the elderly and homeless
help save us

— Noreen ‘Lil Bit’ Morehead