Drive to work – familiar road
Five days a week - the usual route
Today is different dude
A sight leaves me mute
Traffic light turns Red
Vehicles screeching to a halt ahead
Waiting patiently for the Green signal
Wanting to race past this muddle
Few seconds – knock on my window
Two little palms and a tiny shadow
Two painful eyes filled with sorrow
A six year old, forced to grow
A bunch of roses in one hand
A bag of books hanging behind
Asking me to please be kind
Spare a few pennies for her merchandise
At six she ought to be at school
Not at a street corner or a traffic pool
Never sympathize or give her a coin
Yes, she needs your help, but not with a Dime
Children being forced to grow
Bring in money – beg, steal or borrow
She was just one among many
You and I witness and feel sorry
We pay or buy their wares worth only a penny
Washing our guilt – seems very easy
Guilty we are in our own way
Hope we can some day
Be proud and say
Our children are no more prey
To this dreadful crime that we hope is not here to stay.
This really hit hard for what you speak is only the truth. We feed this crime by giving them money which in turn only adds to them begging for more. This really touched my heart though. My twins are 5 and I could never imagine a life like that for them. So sad. This is truly a brilliant write and I hope many more get to read it!
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Good piece from a good-hearted fellow… neither you, nor me would want to see this shadow… the shadow of truth behind the innocent play… never knew who’s to blame, or how to stop the same… God only knew what will really happen then. (I have seen this with my own eyes, back then in the country where I have been… or may be, it’s just everywhere…)