Ode To Poverty

poetry in progress i have seen poverty climb stairs to make that morning paper available at the top floor i have seen poverty climb stairs to sell that wrapped tied farm chicken quiet and bowed, in a one star hotel a sinewy woman waiting for the chance of her dawn i have seen poverty light oil lamp in the dead of night with the hope to leap from rags to cosier enclave through pen and ink, alphabets, arab numerals, mind spinning algebras, logarithms, and medical lexicons i have seen poverty take men across turbulent seas oceans, to strange lands to make money for home thousands of miles away i have seen poverty sweats from dawn till dusk under the tropical sun smoothening highways, coating multi-storey buildings i have seen poverty sank trespassers of seas who have sold every penny with the hope to reach the land of their dreams and opportunities i have seen poverty hops onto beds with strange men with the hope to take some dollars from them to feed starving children at the slums i have seen poverty carry a senile Chinese woman on shoulders up a famous hill resort she to admire her honeymoon spot he to put meals on the table for mom and dad, brothers and sisters i have seen poverty gulp men and women in the seas, throw them helter skelter in a murderous web of human trafficking and slavery i have seen poverty turn graceful beautiful maidens into thin, nerve wracking frames, wrinkles and flesh driven to the edge of existence