The Art Of Giving

Little Sarah in rags, digging trash,

Approaches a passerby in a flash,

For her wandering eyes point out

A sliver of hope mixed with doubt.

At the mere sight of the bony girl,

The man shouts ‘Leave me alone’

She follows him with longing eyes

Until he threatens her with loud cries,

“I’m not giving you any money,

Go away or you’ll be sorry!”

The poor girl accepts her fate

And lives on in a world of hate.

One dark and gloomy night,

Under the bright moon light,

Peter ventures out for a jog,

When he hears a distressed sob

Addressing his undeniable curiosity,

He looks around with enquiry,

Until he spots a homeless teenager

On a pavement near a stinky sewer.

There lies Sarah with tangled hair,

Her skin so dark devoid of care,

With red eyes screaming for help

And sorrow etched on her entire self.

Agonized, troubled and disturbed by her helpless state,

Peter buys food from a stall and gives her the plate,

The gift of love seems so superficial and unreal

That Sarah stands staring in wonder at the meal.

The kind man’s reassuring smile of purity,

Restores poor Sarah’s faith in humanity.

We walk around and proceed with our lives,

Never stopping nor caring about others’ plights,

For success cash and pride,

The whole world strives

But is this the right path for you and I?

If a single plate of food given in love

Can affect a person’s life somehow

Bringing immeasurable happiness,

Driving away feelings of sorrow and helplessness

Then why oh why don’t we try

To spread our ‘wings of giving’ and fly?

Be it an insignificant crayon or a favourite toy,

If given to one in need, invokes their joy

The act of giving heals both young and old

Its miraculous powers are a thing to behold.

People are channels of love and kindness

Without our will to give, there is only darkness

Perfecting the marvelous art of giving

Will make the world a place of exuberant living

Perfection is unattainable without practice

It's time we make selfless giving a habit!