Sometime after mid night, it had rained
Putting out summer’s sultry heat
The sky had its face washed clean
And wiped the grime off Earth’s soiled feet
The dawn is quietly breaking
Night lights still glimmer here and there
The blue firmament remains cloudless
And cool is the mild blowing air
The sleeping town is slowly waking up
And at this transitional point
I look out into the street
To see a sight that shall never disappoint
Along the road moves one, ragged and withered
His discolored white hair left unkempt
With hunch back and drooping shoulders
The marks Time has left of the hard years spent
Though age has drained his life sap away
He has a firm resolve never to beg
His frail body supported on a stick
Serves as a veritable third leg
With his staff, he perseveringly stirs
Every heap of abandoned rubbish
Indiscriminately piled on either side of the road
Hunting for trinkets lying hidden in the trash
A rag picker with a sack on his back
Picking up today’s treasure
From yesterday’s discarded trash
Things, for him ‘priceless’ beyond measure
With complaints none
He faces life and its trials
Never losing the glitter in his eyes
Though a loner in life’s dark isles
I ask myself, why every day
I routinely look for this man who limps along
And I get a quick answer
‘He helps you turn your sobs into a song’
Living on the fringes of time There are many such as these Whom nobody helps or cares And this attitude is our biggest disease........ Quite picturesque and written with true feeling
A great poetess like Valsa can see and feel the life very minutely, while others remain unconcerned with it.
A beautiful, well cadenced, smooth flowing poem showing great compassion and care..I was moved by depth of feeling expressed.I can see why your world rating is number one.A splendid write-a10
I attach so much value to this great acknowledgement from one who is a veteran poet and a man who has seen much of life! Thank you Joseph sir! May you continue to remain in perfect health and cheer and be blessed with your relentless creative faculty for long!
Picking up today's treasure From yesterday's discarded trash. In a way we all are treasure pickers from yeasterday's rags. Really touching and insightful
This is good to have form resolve not beg at all. This quality is a great quality within him. He helps all and sings song of happiness of great value of humanity. With transitional point the sleeping town wakes up. The nice imagery of this poem attracts readers to read again and again. This poem is very nicely and excellently penned poem...10
A poignant yet wonderful poem. The Poetess made me love this rag picker Very touching write. The last stanza is the heartbeat of this profound work. It gave a real twist of the story. Beautifully crafted.10 +++++
The scenario of a midnight street and the daybreak has been well captured in this poem...more interesting is the last stanza where you ask and answer....quite a common habit of street watching is with everyone in life....but for a clever poet like you, it ends up with a super song...kudos to you and the rag picker Valsa...God bless you
There are images in the poets mind that bring forth great poetry. This one touches the heart and the mind...10+++
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Deep sympathy and observation of the depressed and compassion in deeper mind I think came into a poem of the rag picker which I repeated in reading and its word vibration and accuracy felt it so great and wonderful.