Strange days

Strange how these days
I see the streets
Through eyes so dim
And lenses even darker
I shield my constricted soul
From the conscience that grips
He who has more to feed on
Than she who sits begging for
Only that which would sustain
Another living day

Strange how these days
I lower my eyes
Afraid to gaze too deeply
In to the stark nakedness
Of that malnourished
Little angel
Disrespectfully named Street urchin,
But whose presence nevertheless
Justifies the need for
"Development incorporated"
A ticker running wild
In the name of feeding the poor

Strange how these days
I blame the government
The State and the institution
Which I voted into power
And which I shamefully protect
Lest I lose all that I own -
My path-finder and the house upon a hill
With manicured lawns to fit the needs
Of a retired international civil servant

Strange how on that day
When all that hides in the dark
Will be brought to light
And the demand for what is right
Will choke the very core
Of the selfishness that grips the soul
Of ye who so long ago
Wowed to change the world.