Loose change clatters to the street,
Pennies, Dimes,
Dropped in haste from a pocket
Tangled in keys or some other vague object
The man rushes on, heedless
His world is an ugly, demanding place
He can’t be troubled by trifles
Children bound from the shadows
Chasing the coins as they roll down the sidewalk
The man ignores the little cretins
Beggars after insignificant bits of value
Excuse me sir, I think you dropped this.
The man glances down
A single penny
Clutched in a grimy palm
A boy no more than 6
Gritty hair, soiled teeth
Honest eyes, caring soul
Thank you, son
A long, uncomfortable pause
Uh, you can keep that
and , uh, here’s a dollar to go with it
Wow! Thank you sir
I’ll give it to my Mom,
She needs it for food
Another pause, a thought, a decision
Where do you live, Son?
Walking away, purpose changed
The man grasps a paper in his hand
The simple writings of a six year old boy
A name, a location
A place the boy can be found
The man hesitantly smiles
It seems there are good people after all
People that help
People worth helping
|
Submission Name: A Bit of Change
