running around corners
bare feet of black hard
hitting on the
pavement.
from tiny & unwashed
hands, strings of white
fragance of the
sampaguita.
bathed in headlights
are the philippines'
children of dirt &
flowers.
ten pesos lang ho*
they now press their dark
faces against the oh-so
squeaky clean windows
they say
paki bili lang, ate**
but the streetlight has now
turned green (and you leave
them behind)...
on cold and dark sidewalks
the children of the sampaguita
wait
for you.
note: the sampaguita is the philippine's national flower, and is a small, pretty white thing. it smells a lot like jasmine.