I Saw America Begging Today Poem by Juan Olivarez

I saw America begging on the street,
Holding out an old tin can.
Tired she was out on her feet,
Holding out a sign, with her other hand.

I'm hungry and I'll work for food, or for a dollar bill,
The sign she held up said.
Her haggard face gave me a chill,
As I saw the rags in which she was clad.

Look at what they've done to me, she cried,
As I dropped a coin in her can.
Those politicians with all their lies,
They are a curse upon this land.

Her tear stained face just broke my heart,
As I slowly drove away.
How far she has slid down the chart,
Since last she saw her golden days.

It was my intent to actually make the woman America, not just a beggar on the street.


(7/12/11-Alton Texas)