The Many Woes of Alms Men

THE MANY WOES  OF  ALMS MEN
They are there ; and always there
Sitting by the roaring high-tempered highways
Next to the bustling avenues of luxurious people
They sit with their arms outstretched, hoping against hopes
Towards bystanders and passers-by
Who pass and stand by unconcerned yet smell luxuries
Even among those sitting are them who stretch out
Their ever hungry and loud crying bowls more than they call in person
They do sing their request to live by every one quid
From those who at possible proximity could be
The hunger-wishes, with a splinter of gaping hope, the bowls firmly hold out
To live another day when filled up with nourishment

There they still are, having been always there
Sitting in array of no spectacle and allure
With no hope of some delight "Three Square Meals " jolting in sight
Nor befitting clothing and safe shelter
To lay the head and rest away their pounding and hammering pains
In the bruised and wounded feet from the long walk like the maggi
Over the road Peebles stumps and stones

They tread from East to West
For the daily endless quest to live another day
Even in the North and down South, you'll see them again
With an intelligently crooned lyrics
Not for a certain show of fame but to call to live
Still,this make them a bunch of show to see

" Asiri a bo, Babiyanllah"
"Akoba,Adaba,Babiyanllah"
"Olo'un maj'ari, Babiyanllah"
(God forbids misfortunes)
Better still,"God forbids all manners of misfortunes for you"
So their song goes as they wait around on you
But you tag it "an entertainment of no fame" while you look away
But it's "an attempt to survive for another day" if you ask me

'Just wondering why no one ever sign them a Record Deal;
Who knows,there could be more than we do see.

This song they do sing sonorously, to earn their living
Yet,it virtually fails, falling on deaf ears, most times when such performance
Is staged around
This goes on endlessly from neighborhood to neighborhood
Yet to no avail in front of many unmoved passers-by and bystanders
Only few battered notes and coins drop in the crying-bowls from a fairly considerate few
And very much few handing out some neat and substantial bank notes
This reminds them they are "People of No  Choice"
They are"Alms Request Personnels"
But when, on Earth, will anyone look their side?
To grace their itinerary venture of conditions laced with naked integrity
And not wired with  dispossessive trait that shames
When will anyone care and salute their courage
And bless their outstretched hungry loud crying bowls
To settle their angry bowels that rage on with tumult?

In deed, they are "Third Class Citizens" counting on the "Betters"
For the hope of tomorrow
They are the most patient of all mankind
See,when persuasively waiting on you
You murmur, grumble,snub or call the bluff of  them and shift away,often
Then,he calms himself saying no word and then moved to the next person around
'Failure with a man may not be so with another" is their motto
But nobody is born an "Alms Collector"
They were once born into luxuries as many
They once lived  comfortable lives as many
But situations beyond them bewitched them
You're really lucky not to be one
But they are rather unfortunate to be one
Yet, life is a "turning table that faces a man
From a side in turn
Here's one of them,Kudu;
"I lost my fingers to leprosy I'm not guilty of
And I went blind on my onion field with a whirlwind tossing its sand as usual
I used to be hard working but I can barely do a thing now.
So, if God has blessed you abundantly,
Kindly help me!"
nother one,Bala:
"I'm from the Northeast. I lost my rich and promising family to insurgency
I nearly cry my head off every day. But I finally find succour here in Southwest
I have had my phalanges severed to the same cause already. So, chances are that I'll be able to work seriously here. So, I count on you and if God bless you richly,kindly remember me with favour.
Now, he stretch his crying bowls to you
As part of hoping rising to live again
But you simply shove him aside
And snub the call and song that goes out between life and death

Well, enough!
Is our Egocentrism and Self-centeredness not done enough
For us to embrace Humanity and Humankindness ?
I
nstead,you ended up with a defence mechanism wrapped up
Well,
"Life gets better when we create a room in our hearts
- to think for mankind"
(Sobs)And a
In a false claim that:
"Alms taken are always tendered for rituals"
  Won't we just live and let others live too?