The boy in the window

He walks down the street
Alone
Afraid
An orphan

His feet are muddy
His hair grimy
His body stained with dirt
Existence holds only one meaning for him:
Surivival

Uncared for, unkempt,
Lost and unloved
That little heart of his
Once so vibrant and full
Now empty, dead

Hearing laughter in the air
He turns
Drawn by the sounds of love
Of joy
Of happiness
A longing fills his heart

He scurries to the window
And puts his nose on the pane
He sees
Daddy playing with Jo
Mummy doing up Alice's hair
Blacky the puppy frisking around

His face is filled with wonder
He watches quietly
He giggles at their laughs
And smiles at their giggles

Suddenly Alice turns her head
And lets out a cry of surprise
Pointing a chubby little finger
At the grubby face in the window

Startled
Ashamed
He turns to run
And reaches the gate
Before hesitating

Pausing, he looks back
Hope struggles with fear
For dominion within
He wavers

But fear wins out
Fear and shame
He slips through the gate
And disappears
Never to be seen again

-Stories, Drae'la Hunalan, 113 3A