Humanity Poem by Vattakkatt Premchand

Leaning on that graffiti riddled brick wall, she sat
Holding a cardboard with crudely written few words
I am a human; Are you?
Falling raindrops, smudged the edges
Making those letters, like crawling black spiders
Freezing cold wind blazed through her old rags
Biting her bones with its icy sharp fangs
Matted dirty hair locks, partly covering her sunken cheeks
Danced in the wind, like serpents on Medusa's crown
Her lusterless, hungry eyes searched for a gentle gaze
Pleading for their mercy for a copper or two.
Walking along, through that crowded foot path,
Many people of all colour, in their glamorous clothes
Quickly they walked with a determined stern face
As if, they are chasing own shadows, in competition
I see no faces turned towards that frail human
As if they left their humanity, securely locked it away
Humanity we hear; humanity we preach
Humanity we buy and humanity we sell
But showing humanity is never our turn.