Watercolour ©Ayad Zaini
Poem ©Ruwaida Jassim
Was I born a beggar?
He might wonder those days,
When he was a child
When he liked to play
When he wished to laugh
When he was not allowed to be clean
When he wanted to be like them
‘Them’ are the natural children-
Clean, well dressed, and happy
Now, he stops this wonder,
It’s of no use to complain
When street is his home
When begging becomes a habit, or a trade
When dirtiness turns to be usual
When laughing is bitter
When he is sure he is not like them
For, he is not natural!
‘Them’ is the men who are natural!
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