Alms From The Poor Poem by David McLansky

Looking all demure in silks and furs
She stood tapping on my door,
With a haughty look
Clasping an accountant's book
She said 'I'm collecting for the poor; '

I limped, I throbbed bent to the door knob
My leg askew and lame
I undid the lock
In my patched stained smock
And saw her frank disdain;

'Are you the tenant, I represent
The hungry and the poor;
We work fingers to the bone,
To help the needy and alone;
We run a thrift shop store.'

'I am not well, you can probably tell,
My body's wracked and sore, '
She exclaimed,
'I think it's going to rain
Could I step inside your door? '

She eyed my flat, my one room shack,
With its thread-bare furniture,
She walked across my rug,
Gave her dress a tug
And squeezed into my chair;

From a compact case, she checked her face
And powdered cheeks and chin,
Rattling jewelry wrists,
She lit a cigarette,
And said 'Now, where should I begin? '

'The privileged few, who live like you
So richly like a king,
Can't comprehend
The suffering
That poverty does bring.'

'I'm tired and weak from lack of sleep, '
And here she peered at me,
'In this rich big house, '
She whispered like a mouse,
'Could you spare a cup of tea? '

I limped to the stove in socks with holes
To the corner in the room;
I set the kettle on the boil,
Sprinkled tea from foil
And fetched a cup and spoon.

'Such gaudy wealth, and you have your health,
While we live in poverty;
I'm feeling woosie
Could you spare a cookie
With that cup of tea? '

My shelves were bare, I looked everywhere
To provide her with a biscuit;
I found a tin
Only one within,
And decided that I'd risk it.

As she drank her tea quite carefully,
I asked the purpose of her visit;
What could I do for her? '
(And her fox fur.)
She nibbled on her biscuit.

'I'd like a tenth of that which you expend
To help your fellow man;
I don't mean to offend,
But I'm sure you could extend
A kindly helping hand.'

I tried to explain with embarrassed pain,
I lived on social security;
She looked at me
And with certainty
Said, 'You lack charity.'

I limped some more, showed her the door,
She got in her 'Mercy Van.'
And before she left
Looking quite bereft,
She said, 'Such a selfish woman! '