“Street Child”

Poor little girl,

So ragged and worn

With no one to love her

Since she was born.

Her hair is so straggly,

Her skin pale and ashen,

Her poor face so void

Of laughter and passion.

Her cheeks are so hollow,

Her gaze distantly cold;

She is still young

But her face looks so old.

No longer so innocent

To the big, cruel world,

Sadly, she stands there

Without saying a word.

Bruises on her shoulder,

Scars on her arms,

But inside it hurts more

Than any physical harm.

So hungry for love,

Yearning for acceptance,

She did no wrong,

Why suffer the penance?

Just compassion, she pleads;

Just a kind, loving gaze,

Just a moment of clarity

Out of life’s foggy haze…

Won’t you give her a penny,

Or offer a smile;

Show her some love,

Free her from exile?

Poor little girl,

Unwanted, alone…

The ground is her mattress,

The sidewalk her home.