Ruth Jewell's poem pictures a queue of people waiting for help from a figure called "The Monk on the Street." The line includes "men, women, old and young," so hunger or need clearly isn't limited to one kind of person. The word "wait" sits alone on its own line, which makes the waiting feel long and slow.
The key idea comes in the second stanza: these people are "forgotten all / except by" the monk. Everyone else seems to have looked away, and he is the only one who remembers them. The speaker doesn't announce a big emotion. Instead, the tone is quiet and observant, with a note of tenderness toward the monk and sadness about the people ignored.
The last stanza is the most moving. A bowl of soup is practical, but a handshake and "contact" suggest that being touched and acknowledged matters just as much as being fed. The trailing dots leave the poem open, as if the kindness continues beyond the words. The mood is hushed, humble, and quietly hopeful.