Are They Happy? Poem by hamid kareem

Sitting before him who was draped in silk and crown
With dreamy eyes in a beautiful world unlike a swound
he sat this king, who asked tidings of my world
and I told of things I knew
‘Beautiful houses and nice smelling liquids
Manicured lawns and wonderful toys
Beautiful clothes and ethereal electronics
Beautiful tools and fast moving machines
But with money could they be acquired
Big buildings unlike those built of mud and thatch
Garbed in beautiful colors like those of flies’
But are they happy, these people?
With all these things, he asked

I was silent in mute embarrassment
For I did not know what to say
Thinking hard and like a screen I saw,
Images of people haggling o’er goods
Market women cursing people jostling against them
Chattering and Smiles of friends and lovers
Torn people walking dead in streets
Walking bones and smiling diseases
Restaurant mice languishing in hunger
Self depravity of struggling people living in ghettos
Conmen scamming with mouth, guns and isms
Street livers who call streets and markets home
“I DON’T KNOW” I answered
‘Its too soon to know I guess’
Smiling in understanding the old woman replied;
You have much to learn and you are young
But don’t forget kindness and happiness most matter
Not things or money which we do not use here
Confused I tried to answer.
But I woke up.
To a world unknown with the question
‘ARE THEY HAPPY? ’ On my mind