Poverty

Insufficiency holds sway,
Dawn chauffeurs meagre segments,
In this ambience, the children play,
Anticipating their paltry fragments.

Homes wear a sombre look,
Nothing delightful to cook,
The furniture is worn out and spent,
Dilapidated and bent.

Vacation is too much of a luxury,
Hands are dutiful in domestic drudgery,
Children wear undersized and patched attire,
At nightfall, with these, they retire.

Opulence is seen as an illusion,
A treasure hidden in the deep,
Out of reach until they go to sleep,
Away from the world of seclusion.

First Place Podium Finish on Poetry Soup.