Broken Teeth

Walking out of the market today

I was approached

by a black boy with broken teeth.

“Excuse me, Ma’am,” he said sheepishly,

“Do you have eighty cents?”

“Why do you need it?” I asked.

“For food…for a sandwich, I'm hungry and need to eat.”

I noticed he was well dressed, wearing a leather jacket,
and new shoes on his feet.

Of course I gave him a dollar, and didn’t ask for change

Who would?

I knew he was lying,

there standing in the rain, drenched in pain.

but deeper down beneath, in the boy well clothed,  I saw a soul 

dressed up with broken teeth 

ldn