Township Moon Shaddow

The night casts shadows you know
This is where he hides so that no one
Can take away the lost child within
He fought so hard to find.
Somewhere between this world
And a world he was forced to know
Laid a boy curled up in a cardboard box
That he build for shelter
All because he was too afraid
To stare at the moon
Its roundness reminded him of his face
A face so many lashed at with tongues
And fingers pointing at him
Laughing because he wears welfare glasses
Secondhand shoes his mother got from the madam
Hand me down wrangler jeans
Did they know that when they laughed at him
All he wanted was to be nourished from love
And not be cast away
He wakes up from hunger pains
And the only food he can eat
Is the knowledge he takes from books
Because this month’s All Pay hasn’t come yet
His back aches because he was too late to get into
The only bed, that was not made for a family of eight
The flour wouldn’t be so bad if he had a pillow to rest his head on
He fought for a beach blanket to keep him warm
But felt that his little brother needed it more
And when no one was looking
He’d silently cry for something more.