"Let them eat cake..."

The stink of rot hit my face,
stale bread turned green,
slipping out I walked to the trash,
he walked behind me unseen.

Snatched from my hands,
the little boy ran ahead,
I was off too behind him,
would not let him devour stale bread.

Rain,the cruel,drowned my cries,
pain,from hunger,pushed him on,
as he shot out of the alley,
a delivery truck knocked him down.

As the driver descended,struggling drunk,
his face in disbelief,he held
the boy,his son to his heart,
while the rain,incessantly fell.

Three days in hunger,they waited,
son with mother;and stolen bread
was all he could muster,
for which he now lay dead.

The wailing mother walked to me,
apologized for the young criminal dead,
and slapping me,in front of the gathered crowd,
said,"for chasing the thief of a stale bread!"

I did not explain,who would listen..
the streets emptied and I returned,
to my waiting toddler,
to my wife's freshly baked bun,
but all I saw,was the repentant father,
his wife,his hungry,lifeless son.