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, would you?

I knew he was lying,

standing in the rain in pain

but deeper beneath in the boy well clothed
I saw a soul dressed up with broken teeth.

ldn