The Other Child Poem by Lubinda Lubinda

Most of us are well fed
before we go to bed
but, just before we take our final wink
do we ever stop to think
about the other child?
the one who interrupted us
on our way to work!

Did we even notice
the suppressed, grim, expression
protruding from his face,
as he politely asked us
for some money or bread!

The sad truth is
we often ignored him
because, we thought
it was a trick
because, the child looked
fairly well dressed!
that's why we couldn't even realize
that it wasn't really a scam
because, it was covered up
by his faint tainted smile!

Maybe that is why
we barely even noticed
that, he often went bed
hungry and unfed.

Anyway, ashamed,
that we'd been singled out
by the young lad
we never bothered to ask
whether or not
he'd have something to eat
later that day!

I guess our excuse was:
we simply forgot!
and, ironically, most of us
would constantly
pray for God to feed poor
despite the fact that
He gave us that chore
we coudn't even realize
from the smudge on his face
that the boy was truly poor
he'd spent a long time
sleeping on a worn out carton box
on the cold hard floor!