Image source : Karawang Today
Suffering Street Buskers
What are you afraid of us?
We have only a guitar inheritance
a handful of sand in a used bottle
several bottle caps on a stick
and soft voices competing
with the sound of our stomachs starving.
We're just street singers, sir
What are you afraid of?
Are you afraid of losing lost coins?
Oh, lord and lady
does the street have humiliated us?
Forgive our messiness and the smell of the sun.
Some of us have no father.
Some young people die from drinking
there is a suicide because most of the debt
there is a hobby to marry again then leave the wife's son
some were killed by the mob when caught trying to steal
some were taken away by the authorities and never returned.
Some of us are orphans, sir
Some are strays, madam.
Or what you call the orphan is just what he looks like
who are you eating at home then you ask for his prayer?
Who guarantees our prayers is efficacious, sir?
We pray every day
and never protest even as poor as ever.
Oh, lord and lady
does the street have humiliated us?
Did we destroy you to glorify you?