At least spare a thought for the children the children of Poverty Street <br />They are homeless as young teenagers and against the odds they must compete <br />Their parents serving time for robbery and narcotic offences and most of their role models in jail <br />Their circumstance of birth is a huge mark against them the poor young people destined to fail. <br /> <br />They steal for to buy food, drugs and alcohol on Poverty Street life is tough <br />Too young much too young to be homeless without shelter and sleeping rough <br />They are pushed to the social fringes the young people society disown <br />Ignored by the Government Bureaucracies and to the Police only known. <br /> <br />Who could envy them their existence those born into cruel circumstance <br />The Gods are completely against them of success they do not stand a chance <br />For them life is such a great battle they must battle their ghosts of despair <br />They don't even dream of the good life to them life is very unfair. <br /> <br />You who waffle on of life's choices with you talk is always so cheap <br />Bet you were not homeless at thirteen and on a park bench had to sleep <br />You would not talk of life's choices if you had to steal for to eat <br />If you felt alone and abandoned like the children of Poverty Street.<br /><br />Francis Duggan<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-children-of-poverty-street/
