She...

Soothed by the music,
Comforted by the cushion,
Peaceful i was, whirring past,
Till the bus came to a halt.

I saw it- or
Was it her?
Or perhaps him?
An animal- one with
The sixth sense?

She – i decided – lay
Not unlike a beast,
Clothed in stray shreds,
Covered by dirt,
Ignored by the world.

Unease replaced comfort,
Guilt filled me,
Me- the happy human,
An equal to her,
By nature. But why?
Why not by-
Birth or growth?

Oblivious equally to
Staring eyes and
Faces turned away,
The beast, the woman,
The needy being, she
Went about her chore,
Replacing one dirty rag
With another, to cover her,
Taking shelter in
Piles of garbage,
Protecting her scanty being
From the brutal weather.

A resolve framed:
Whims and fancies,
Grumbles and Moans
Forgotten, I whirred on,
Wiser - Wiser than ever.
A vast vicissitude
In a matter of minutes!