He walked slowly from weakness

Down an abandoned dusty road

The sun scorching the tops of his bare feet

In the mid-day heat wave

But he was undeterred

By the electric blue sky burning his eyes

He had a task

Today this dimple- faced child was a man

Everyday he was suffering

He continued on, determination flowing through him

It was a long walk,

He had hummed through the same hymn twenty-seven times

He had prayed for everything he could think of

Anything to pass the time

Finally he saw it

The water well stood out among the desolate land

Like a mirage in the desert

Was it really there?

And like wishes in hell,

The well was dry.

He could be a man no longer

Tears of false hope ran like the Nile

Long and flowing down his slender face

A gentle breeze kicked up the yellow dust

And swirled around him

Blowing his limp hair around his face

It was the color of desperation

His mouth parched with disappointment

His eyes filled with poverty

His thoughts filled with death

Today this child had to be a man

He failed

Everyday he is alone

Everyday he is starving

Everyday he is struggling

Everyday he is dying little by little

And tomorrow he might not make it

Won’t you help him?