Poverty Strikes Praying Mantis Poses Poem by Terence George Craddock (Spectral Images and Images Of Light)

hands wearing no rings dare breathe
dare feed at taboo waste containers
living rags in the shadow of wealth

poverty strikes praying mantis poses
prods with sticks into despair garbage
searching for tidbit tainted mouthfuls

brief borrowed life broke eaten
not even crumbs will stone city bestow
free is dirt disease waste death

despised disdained fed intolerant glances
empty stomach diets on empty air stench
bloats boasts release release approaches

while you pray for more in temples of wealth
God gathers up clothe discarded fallen sticks
reforms their bruised flesh banquets lost souls

smiles eternal blessings upon beached driftwood
as oceans of indifference rings upon fingers
mass text communicate ply fashion technologies

across silk screen internet globe
deleting dirty bothersome beggars
fallen at walk around well shod

fashion feet while the great unwashed
downtrodden cast out give up ghost trade
souls mud freed souls heaven weighed