An Old Beggar Poem by Md. Ziaul Haque

There was an old beggar,
Sitting beside the streetlamp every day,
Chanting the name of Allah all the time,
In the hope of drawing the attention of the onlooker.

Some kind souls like Kent in King Lear used to show mercy,
Giving him a taka or two,
Whatever the total amount was,
He would be more than happy.

Even if a very bad day appeared, he didn't ever curse,
Just smiled to himself looking at the useless stars.


In the last line, 'useless stars' indicates that the stars are useless or meaningless to a beggar. He does not care whether they are beautiful or not, whether the exist or not. He thinks about buying foods for the children.