Thursday, July 14, 2005

A beggar's life

cloth wrapped around
unkempt, crushed, careless; less
to cover the shame, the indignity
which is now worn unassumingly
like a dress itself.

breast struggling to hide
hairy legs streaked with brown dust
running from vehicle to vehicle, signal to signal
marking the territory
for the clink in the begging vessel

eyes pleading, words repeated
an act mastered, spirit undefeated
expressions ignored, sometimes rewarded
turning away uncaring
next vehicle, a new target

a child from nowhere wanders
clings to the cloth less,
protruding stomach, gangly legs
eyes beseeching, inners empty
a slight nudge received, work again begins

drifting through the streets
mocking, laughing, serious or morose
living on the edge of life, society
mocked, shunned yet defining their own norms
living on change, their pieces of life.

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