Date Written: 23 May 2026
I cup my hands together and extend them out to you
My head bowed forward as I raise my hands higher and closer to you
Awaiting for you to spare a glance and place a gold coin in the palms of my hands
Instead of feeling the cool touch of metal,
my skin embraces the breath of air
that caresses my palms and strokes my fingers,
before leaving me without any change to spare
My hands remain cupped and my head bowed
As you continue to walk past all those who
extend their palms out toward you
You spare not one a glance or gold coin
You only march forward towards the throne
a fortnight ahead of you
You march and march, unaware of
all the palms lowering and bowed heads rising
with stares that follow you as the throne
in front of you gets closer and closer
until you find yourself knelt before the throne,
extending your palms clasping your pouch
of gold to the man dozing off in this seat before you
The man yawns, plucking your pouch
out from your extended palms
and with a flick of his wrist, he ushers you away,
awaiting for the next person who was trailing behind you
You stare at the man in disbelief–
How dare he only take but not give to you?!
You fume and fume, marching yourself right back
in the direction you just came from
Only to see how many hands that
once requested your help are no longer to be found
With nowhere to go and no one to turn to
You find your way back to me, who is still
with raised palms and a bowed head before you
You find yourself kneeling next to me
as you see someone in the distance approaching
in the same manner as you, before
all you offered was taken from you
You cup your hands and raise them
towards the approaching person
who was once like you
But you do not bow your head
You only stare with extended palms
Hoping you’ll catch the attention
of who came after you