The Forgotten Child
There you sit friendless and alone,
Your body cold and numb to the bone,
Memories of a warm bed and toys,
Bring tears of longing for those joys,
That you took for granted so,
For you figured they would never go,
And now you are a witness to the misery,
That you yourself never cared to see.
As people walk by you with a “huff and a puff”
Not gentle, or soft they treat you, but rather cruel and tough,
“Get out of my way you stupid beggar!”
And you watch as they sink their teeth into a burger.
You wander the streets with wish they were mild,
Tears on your dirty face fall for you are the forgotten child.
Everyday the same routine you follow
As you linger on and hide your sorrow
As others tease, harass, and abuse
They spend so much on school and they don’t realize they are confused.
But you have made this realization,
That humanity is due to protect all creation,
Regardless of status, education, or looks,
And as they ignore you, you ponder what they get out of their books.
You ponder on the fact that humans love their animals,
They pamper their fish, their reptiles, and their mammals,
They treat with more respect these creatures of the wild,
Does anyone have mercy on you, the forgotten child?
You hug your only toy,
A worn out teddy bear,
Your only comfort, your only friend that cares.
And yet, you carry on in a world that is grave,
I can only dream of being that brave.
As I see you as you lay,
On the ground and dream of a better way,
A sole pedestrian gives you some change
A smile comes on your face for someone has seen you in your cage.
This lonely action gets you through your day
And as you linger you find a smile along the way.
For in a society so snobbish and wild,
To someone, you are not the forgotten child.
-age 15
Copyright 1994 Wendy Torres
