Look at me

Look at me

What do you see

An old man in a blanket

In the corner of a doorway

Holding out his hand

For nothing more

Than a piece of toast and a cup of tea

What do you see

When the picture in the paper

On the table in the cafe

Is a woman in the desert

With a heavy jug of water

On her head

What does she see

With her sad eyes

As she follows

The only road to lead her home

Where she left children

With distended bellies

In a corner of a dark room

With no windows

And nothing left to eat

But dry bread

The last cow dead

No men left on the homestead

She will get home

Her will to survive

Is as strong as her stride is long

What do you see

When you see her

What do you see

Over coffee in the morning

Smashed avocado on sourdough

Picking over too much pepper

On the poached eggs

A girl with long legs

Fighting for a seat on the fast train

Standing is a real pain

All the way into the city

Isn’t it a pity

They don’t add an extra car

To ease the strain

Life is a hard sell

When you are a film star

Or a celebrity

And someone’s always watching

Taking notice

Judging actions

Taking snaps

When you take a bath

Or have a nap

What do you do

When you do nothing

With the time

You can’t afford

What do you see

Do you see me?