Spare Change Poem by Garrett Bradley

'Spare change, spare change, ' I call out
Shaking the few pieces of worthless metal in my can
In order to get a passer-by's attention
But they pay no mind to me
They act as if I was some kind of transparent figure
As if I was not even human
But a sickly animal
And those who look either shake their heads
Or go into a fit of laughter
I despise them for their ignorance
I loathe them for their lack of compassion

'Spare change, spare change, ' I call out
Holding a brown, battered sign
But once again they ignore me
If all the world's a stage and I'm just an actor
How did I get stuck playing the beggar
Why was I born an Untouchable
Each day I stand here
Each day they pass me
Like I was a statue or sign
But when faith seems lost
A saint comes along and adds a n ounce of hope to my Pandora's Box

'Spare change, spare change, ' I call out,
This time speaking with a voice louder than a male opera singer's
Yet the people are still oblivious of me
The naive children point and laugh at me
The drunks beat me
The businessmen look at me with stone faces
And with a cold heart, disregard me
The gangs bang on me
And the women, who are the worst of all
Just stare and shake their heads

'Spare change, spare change, ' I call out
But again no one listens
So I decide to pack up for the day
For no wants to help a bum
But as I head for the nearest shelter I wonder
Can anyone spare change?