Another day in the cold, wow, I am really getting old.
If only I had been told that being born was a gateway to war,
An endless battle with life just to make it to the next day.
I watch the disgust on people’s faces when I ask for spare change
And still, they walk away.
They see me from a distance and decide not to come my way.
I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to ruin your day.
I’m also trying to live life the right way.
Please help me to get these chains off my back.
I am tired of being a slave of the streets; I also want to be free.
Tears stream down my cheeks,
Only to join a puddle of their companions from last week.
Is it too much to ask for a smile?
Or friends to walk with for even less than a mile?
I too want a toy to run around with,
A family to come home to and, maybe, quarrel with.
I want a warm embrace from the loving arms of a mother,
A stern pep talk from the deep voice of a father.
When will I feel like I belong somewhere?
I am not looking to stay in a mansion,
I just wish to dwell in people’s hearts.
A little love would help to make this word feel like home.
In my misery, I pull a scrappy cloth over my body
And resign myself to a pool of tears.
Anesuishe Ndlovu is a medical student at the University of Zimbabwe and the owner of an online e-commerce website called Exito. His Instagram handle is _aneross_ and the online shop is www.exitoshop.co.zw