after kened ngiise iii
on my way
to the church one sunday,
i crossed paths with a beggar.
she was a bare-footed girl of eleven
with nothing
but a beggar’s bowl
& a face creased into a plea.
she stretched her beggar’s bowl
toward me & said weakly:
a penny please!
days now. no food. no water
please! pleaase! pleaaaaaase!
having nothing to offer,
for all i had was the offertory,
i turned my eyes off her &
bypassed her hastily.
in the church,
after offering my offertory
i raised my cupped hands
heavenwards & pleaded to god
to bless me with everything
my heart desires
when my prayers went unanswered,
i cursed god―cursed him bitterly.
little did i realize when god
gave me the chance to be the beggar’s god,
i heeded not the beggar’s plea, too….
