What do you think when you look at me?

Am I a nuisance?

A potential goon?

Or a dirty-hungry rodent?

Disturbing your peace

What do you think when you look at me?

Are you scared of me?

Or scared that I may smear some dirt on your car?

With my dirty hands

And clumsy scarred bare feet

What do you think when you look at me?

That I am a “pick-pocketer”

At the market square

Or a diseased little chap

When I come close to you

What do you think when you look at me?

Do you just want to dip into your pocket

And throw some coins at me?

And look away in disgust

While I pick it up excitedly

What do you think when you look at me?

Do you ever wonder

How I was born

What my childhood was like

If I’ve ever been treated with warmth?

What do you think when you look at me?

That I don’t have a heart?

That I want to be this way

Gallivanting without a purpose

Without a future to look forward to

What do you think when you look at me?

That I want to clutch my dirty bowl

For the rest of my life

That my heart doesn’t tear into pieces

When I see kids enrolled in school

What do you think when you look at me?

Am I a fellow human being?

Disregarded nevertheless

That I deserve a right to an education

Just like your little boy

What do you think when you look at me?

A potential hooligan?

But is it necessarily so?

Why not a potential great president

Of a rich country like this

What do you think when you look at me?

Do you want to throw some more coins

Just to get rid of me

And keep giving me dry fish

Instead of teaching me how to fish

What do you think when you look at me?

Do you imagine if it were your little boy

In my place instead of me?

Do you want to reach out to me

Like I matter the way I am

What do you think when you look at me?

Don’t you want me off the streets?

To teach and mentor me?

To teach me about life and being humane

And build a great future for me

What do you think when you look at me?

I’ll tell you what to think

Am also a potential surgeon

Just like your kid

It’s up to you to make my dreams true

For am also like your kid

Am also a potential soldier

Ready to defend you with my all

But only if you make that happen

By rescuing me today

You don’t have to search by yourself

All over for me

For this medium has made it easy

For you to reach out to me

Just press the “DONATE” button

And leave some funds for me

These people here know how to reach me

Many thanks to you in advance

For building my future today