off the Street

They wake up hungry every morning,

With no hope

Of what the future holds,

They have always been lonely and cold,

Nobody to hold them close,

They look tattered in these rags.

But these rags are all they’ve got,

Today is just another day they’ll have to survive,

Another day they will wish they are the ones

Going to school in these coloured uniforms,

Carrying fancy bags and loaded lunch box,

Wishing they are the ones going to learn the ABC’s and 123’s,

But when they try going to school,

They chase them back to the street,

Where they don’t belong,

People see them suffering everyday…

But they just ignore,

Leaving these poor kids all alone to fight this cold war,

Don’t just give them money for food,

Or change their cloths,

You can do more,

These are leaders of tomorrow,

Let’s make life right for them,

Let’s win this fight for them…

Let’s take them off the street!

(by Hamza Mayaki)

courtesy Abuja Literary Society