A Wish for Christmas, 6th annual MMHC Options

[Guest_ohsteve_*]

A Wish for Christmas

What child is this? Whose eyes shimmer with longing.
Nose pressed tight up against the glass
as if closer would make the smells come through.
Cold granules drift up against the ragged clothes,
a bare toe pokes out.
Shop owner rushes out to shoo the misfit along,
not wanting his paying customers to see.

Child trudges away, maybe tomorrow the glass
might be thinner, the shop owner less upset,
or someone willing to give some long lost love,
for it would be Christmas.

25 Nov. 09
© Steve Pray

[Sekhmet]

Hi Steve - This was very Dickensian, and the verses were moved by the same compassionate spirit which moved the Great Man.
The saddest thought of all, is that things have not changed that much since Dickens's day.
How many kids are still to be seen, living on our streets, dressed in unsuitably thin clothes to keep out the winter chills

CODE

Cold granules drift up against the ragged clothes,
a bare toe pokes out.

Today the bare toe might poke out from a threadbare trainer - but the cold feet remain, to shame us all.
Leo