The Little Child

Everything had gone wrong on that bright sunny day,

I felt like the sky had come tumbling down on my head,

All my hope had diminished like a leaf consumed by fire,

A fire that never receded, but continued forever

My worst memories kept coming back into my mind,

Like a swarm of flies feeding on the inert and lifeless,

Flies I had to let out before they consumed me whole,

So I left my home for a walk on the street,

A street all ravaged by hunger, poverty and deceit,

As I was walking along, suddenly out of the blue,

Appeared two little eyes as beautiful as morning dew,

As I gazed at them enthralled, I became aware of their owner,

A fragile little girl with disheveled auburn hair,

Hope in her eyes, her petite hand reached out to me,

As I let a coin drop into her palm her little fingers curled up,

A smile breaking out upon her miniscule sooty face,

Her face seemed to shine with the light of a thousand suns,

In her I saw happiness like I had never felt before,

Soon she trotted away leaving me humbled and ashamed,

A little girl had taught me to find hope, where there was none.