A Poor Child, A Poem

[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]SAYS A [/FONT]
‘[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]POOR’ CHILD[/FONT]


[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I am poor ![/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I know[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]You know[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]And everybody knows.[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I am hungry![/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I know more than [/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Anybody else does.[/FONT]


[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Why I am poor ?[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I don’t know[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Why I am hungry?[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I don’t know[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]But I do know[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I have to survive[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]With some respect.[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Don’t laugh[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]If I say ‘respect’[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]For I do have some[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]If not your variety.[/FONT]


[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I beg of you[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Not for money[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Not for food or clothes[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]But to leave me[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Alone with my poverty,[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]And not to dramatize it,[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Or to take pity on me.[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]For pity is not [/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]What I want.[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Help me in a quiet way[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Consistent with my self respect[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]If you can.[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Yes! Self respect[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]For being poor[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Is not something[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I need be ashamed of.[/FONT]


[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Nor do I need any concessions[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Or privileges[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Which demean me,[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]The very thought of which[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Saddens me,[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]For it lowers me[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]In my own eyes.[/FONT]


[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]But if you should help me[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Achieve my full potential,[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]I should feel proud of myself,[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]And of you.[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]And you in turn[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Will feel proud of me[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]And happy[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]With yourself.[/FONT]


[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]So let us[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Join hands together[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]And do proud[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]To each other[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]And start a new[/FONT]
[FONT=Viner Hand ITC, cursive]Brotherhood order! WRITTEN BY MY FRIEND RAM VARMA FROM HIS BEDRIDDEN STATE...BROUGHT TO U BY SUNKAN[/FONT]