Scabies from the top of his crown
to the nape of his neck
and down to the bottom
of his back
But it makes no difference
There she is hoisting him from her hip
a little boy
she uses him as a ploy
with an outstretched palm
begging for another coin
But the weather can be unforgiving
in this tropical island paradise
The bacteria slices like a knife
tiny microbes chiseling their way through
the surface of the skin
In round little circles the parasites cut deep
inflaming the skin with pock marks
and serious divots
but who will come to his aid
A poor beggar often works countless hours
and as an infant he has not even come
to master speech
And don't hold your breath unless someone intervenes
it doesn't appear that elementary school will ever be
part of the agenda
Sadly they are the underclass
They exist in most cities and small villages in the developing world
In India they call them the untouchables
and there is a caste that will forever keep them down
And if you look into their eyes
the grimace can be quite discomforting
Reach in your pocket and pull out a penny
You will have a friend forever
and you can be sure that she will follow you wherever you will go
And if you choose to swerve there is no question
what will happen
The poor and the destitute will always be here they say
But the suffering of children is so hard to see
In a couple of years he will soon be walking on foot
Infections hardened into scars and many more to come
Who knows maybe soon afterward he will begin to smoke cigarettes
And when no one is looking perhaps he will sniff from a tube of glue
This is to deaden the hunger on bad days
and to fight the boredom
Because when someone is illiterate it may often be hard to concentrate
or to gather one's thoughts and sit still
And sadly he has little insight into his predicament
but often frustration grows
Just why is he so different from other little boys and girls?
And how will he develop into a full grown man?
I would hate to quote you statistics
because to be honest I really don't know
But there is a good chance that he won't survive the disease
that surrounds him
And just look at his virulent skin
There is ample evidence to document the pain and suffering
that this poor child has been forced to endure