to steal a loaf of bread

the jobless,
the homeless, the disenfranchised
are laughing
in their bedrolls
made of newspapers.
they rub
their hands in the fires
that warm them,
smiling at a world
that never gave them a chance
to rise
above their
minds, their blood,
their color.
now you see, they think
quietly to themselves,
catching a glimpse
of the world
news. hearing it on
hot wind.
now you understand
what it means
to steal a loaf of bread.
to stand in line
for water.

to beg.