Saying No to the Beggar Boy

"Rupee Madam, rupee"
A small scruffy boy
Couldn't be more than five years old
Tangled, dirt filled, unkempt hair
Shoeless, spilt cracked feet
Too small clothes in tatters
Dry, crusty, caked up runny nose

"Rupee Madam, rupee"
Gesturing hand to mouth, an act of proof
Needing money for food
Yet - lacking desperation
Holding no conviction
Playing out the scene by rote
I notice his burnt out left eye

"Rupee Madam, rupee"
This child from birth
Destined to beg
On the busy upmarket streets of Delhi
No self
For - his self was stolen
By the man who demands he dance the dance of a beggar boy
In askance of money
The same man who burnt out his eye those few years ago
Claiming himself as the owner of this boys self

"Rupee Madam, rupee"
His eyes, devoid of life
Repeating the same phrase thousands of times
Each day
White people give
For they are not used to seeing a boy with nothing - not even an eye
They still have compassion
They feel helpless in a situation such as this
For all his worldly street knowledge - this is the biggest fact he is wise to

"Rupee Madam, rupee"
I ask myself whose hand I am feeding
- If I so choose to donate funds
I ask myself what it takes to end the dreaded cycle
The enslavement of the destitute children of India
I ask myself why these children were born into an existence so harsh

"Rupee Madam, rupee"
"No" I say looking into his one good eye
Well trained he is relentless
"Rupee Madam, rupee"
Does he sense I am walking on
Wishing to help
Yet accepting this circumstance as what it is

Loosing myself in the thick Delhi crowd
I am forever left wondering
With unanswered questions
About the beggar boy with the burnt out eye

"Rupee Madam, rupee"

Reviews

[R Smith]

a tough time to write about Elizabeth, you are right if you give then you feed the man behind the boy, this kind of existence should be brought to an end by the so called powers that be, all governments could end poverty in their countries if they just dealt with them and stayed out of the affairs of all other countries and of course if the ones in power were honest and true and not the greed driven tyrants we find ruling across the world, great work Boss Lady :)

[imagwriteine]

Wow you've shown your inner struggle and raw emotions in simple words and phrases. And in addition the cold hard truth that some children are taken, hurt, crippled, by sinister people just to throw them out into the street to beg. Excellent.

[Einstein Noodle]

oh my goodness .. heart wrenching .. what does one do ... societies can be shameless .. you put it so well ... and the rubber hits the road in this stark reality ... makes me think of all those on my streets that beg ... giving one reason or another on crumpled cardboard.. they don't have the practiced aggression of your beggar boy .. they sit and try to look pathetic .. i drive on knowing they would drink it down in a pint ... but who am i to judge and they have their say in the guilt i can never shake :(
E.

[Rene Salinas]

The reality of this writing has been well documented and the use and abuse of misplaced chilhood is yet another demonstration of our well crafted downfall. The descriptions of what you see harrowing and the narrative leads me to a place where the action of giving money to the boy is a no win situation.

As I stop to think for one minute What would the benefit of my contribution be? It is then a situation that seems to be devoid of goodness...

Yet it is part of our reality and how is this going to be changed? or redeemed ? or transformed to move childhood back to a place where it would be at least and embracing environment?

Some situations maybe are beyond redemption and deconstructionism is the only way forward. Rebuilding may be needed.

Thank You

[wordman]

it`s really hard to believe the way children are forced to live in other countries we expect the same morals and laws as here but you are in a different world for sure