Don't you dare pity us
Being poor isn't being weak
We are the kings of the lowlands--
Your spare change is the last thing we need.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall"
Is one mantra in these parts
So we rely on cunning and numbers Like lean leopards and sharks.
The highway is our playground
We raise our children here.
Drowning is how you learn to swim,
We hope this teaching is clear.
Don't forget our names,
Recall us with each breath;
Because we are ghosts and skeletons
Of poverty's hand of death.
~~~~
To all those who are less fortunate than I. Yes, we do remember.