A prompt from Sunday Scribblings got me thinking about the life of a ragamuffin on the streets. While I take my life, my comforts, my entitlements for granted, what part of my life does he, will he, wish for?
—–
Woken up hungry by a policeman’s kick,
Packed with a disdain unparalleled,
Another bright morning, as you wake up to,
I bid my bed under the bridge, adieu.
Your breakfast gets cold, begging relish,
As I stare at the restaurant owner,
It won’t be long before his disgust wins,
And throws me a stale bun – thus my day begins.
That ragamuffin you dismiss, at the traffic signal,
In the comfort of your air-conditioned car,
I stand in the scorching heat, amidst the pollution,
Hoping for a kind heart, or someone seeking absolution.
You raise your hand in your history class,
You challenge your private school teacher.
I find a torn book on the renaissance times,
Hoping, earnestly, it’ll get me a few dimes.
The soccer ball flies into the goal,
As your teammates celebrate your magic,
I pull out some wooden splinters from my feet,
Wishing I’d never run down that filthy street.
The dinner table, set, as you father says grace,
As your kid brother gestures an expletive,
I scamper around for a morsel in the rubbish bins,
Competing with the stray cat, as it grins.
Your mother tucks you into a warm safe bed,
As you close your chapter on today,
I wish I could swap my existence with you,
Only for a few hours, if not a day.
Mia said,
June 27, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Love this. We do take a lot for granted, huh?
Rikly Rimes said,
June 28, 2010 at 12:07 am
Some strong empathy there. And I love the word ragamuffin; so muc more pictureque that ‘street child.’
Old Grizz said,
June 28, 2010 at 5:48 am
wow, what a great post…never thought in that direction…great empathy in your soul…would we try harder to help the poor if we had to swap a day of our lives for theirs???
Dee said,
June 28, 2010 at 6:38 pm
well said and amen – more and more of that with the economy. I work in a high school and every year I am surprised to find that this or that child is without a home. It breaks my heart.
Captain Molecule said,
June 28, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Yes, things have gone from bad to worse for far too many children all over the world. I just returned from a trip to South America, and was appalled to see how many small children are left destitute in the contemporary society. And this phenomenon can no longer be called localized to the developing world, given the tough times our economies are going through here in the first world.
Megha said,
July 1, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Back after such a long time….?
Very nicely put…couldn’t have been written better..please write more. Less breaks
Captain Molecule said,
July 4, 2010 at 5:55 pm
@Megha, yeah,been a crazy time at work and everything – I’m sure you know how it is. But yes, does feel great to pen down some thoughts once in a while despite those usual distractions. Thanks for stopping by.