Penury

It may be true that
Beggars can't be choosers,
But how unfortunate
Are those mortals,
Who can't even beg
For what they crave,
Though their very lives
Depend on it.

Dignity has to be intact,
Appearances kept up,
Needs suppressed,
And ivory towers secured.

Little does the beggar
At the threshold
Understand the penury
Of the apparently affluent
Behind the closed doors.