HASHTAG HUMANITY

Hashtag Humanity

Can I have a dollar?

Five simple words worth 20 cents each.

We're so quick to play God and judge people that may play juror,

against us one day.

Can, I have a dollar?

The question echoes my denim

and the lint runs to secure loose change,

runs to tack down any folded up bills with Washington's face

facing a nation where they sit and watch

people trip and fall below the poverty line with

these easing sounds of more money entering their piggy bank.

Can I, have a dollar?

Before you enter Starbucks,

or maybe when you leave, with that macchiato memory of Mmmmmmm,

maybe then you'll be in a better mood,

a better place,

a better spirit to give something to your brother.

and I'm not loosely throwing that term around like love people,

but we all are related under Father God aren't we?

Aren't we

supposed to lift one another outta the depths

like Lazarus outta death,

and speak actions of help like the breath

He breathed within us?

Can I have,

and maybe that's the problem cause you want it back.

You're thinking borrow

but how can stains, tears, rips, shredded cloth bagged luxuries,

and boxed up residence serve as collateral

and offer you a payback.

Offer you,

you who don't know the purpose or definition of the word offering,

back anything that you officially feel you deserve

and this privilege,

often has you stuck cause you can't offer

me love when you're a working middle class orphan,

cause you don't know your father,

or your family.

Hashtag humanity.

Can I have a single,

One hundred pennies that you throw away constantly in wishing wells

when I'm wishing for clean water to sip,

to wash my hands,

to wash away my sins,

to wash away the pain of having to ask you

who are merely disgusted in just talking to me,

to borrow anything

as if empathy costs 4 quarters, 10 dimes, 20 nickels,

or the time of day that you let wither away

pretending you're better.

Pretending that you're so far above the invisible poverty line

like you can't lose that job and be stuck on the same street,

in the same situation,

with the same stench smelling like you're

supposed to be visible to the brothers and sisters God has given you.

When I ask you can I have a dollar,

I don't care about your money,

or the jingle jingling in your pocket

I'm just trying to get your attention.

Trying to get you to understand these bags have groceries,

this cardboard box is for my children's art project,

these rags just mean I have any clean clothes

due to the fact that there's a flood in my house,

and the dollar i apparently can't have is for the meter.

Poverty doesn't equate to homeless.

And many times a simple conversation can stop thoughts of suicide

cause there's a struggle and no one cares

about the person struggling next to them,

it's about what can you do for me,

What can I have from you.

So once again when I ask you can I have a dollar,

dig in your heart

and spend a second of your time just to acknowledge that I exist,

because I wanna believe that I'm suffering for

something greater Lord,

and all I want is for a stranger,

pardon me

all I want is for a sibling to simply

care.