What is poverty?
I never knew till that day
Not until I saw that old house
Dismal and subjected to decay.
I was taken aback
I had never seen anything like this
So ruined and so worn out
But still filled with bliss.
The kids ran around the cottage
The father watched them play
The house was more than it looked
More than just a block of clay
The members were so perfect
The father bold and strong
The kids active and smart
And a mother who’s never wrong.
The family was just flawless
No matter where they dwelt
The only issue was the famine,
The hunger that they felt.
The father was out of work
The mother was home-bound too
The kids too young to earn
And hence no morsel there to chew.
Suddenly our eyes met
The mother’s and mine indeed
She came running towards me
Her scarf swaying with her speed.
She kneeled and she begged
And she pleaded for some food
I felt my soul all out for her
While our eyes still glued.
That’s the moment I realized
What being poor actually was
That minute I was speechless
Tears rolling down my sealed jaws.
What is poverty?
I never knew till that day
Not until I saw that old house
Dismal and subjected to decay.
I think I learned my lesson
To be helpful and be kind
They were not the only ones
A long queue is behind.
I took an initiative
I helped the ones in need
It is your turn now
How many will you feed?