LIGHTS OF THE CITY

He was young,

And his mind

Was filled with the science of economics

That he had studied in college.

And as we talked about the food riots,

And high prices,

And jobless men,

He said:

“It's all stupid and wrong,

“This newspaper talk!

“Folk have no business to starve.

“The price of labor always advances,

“Proportionally,

“With the price of food!”

“Any man,” he said,

A moment later,

“Can earn at least two dollars a day

“By working on a railroad,

“Or in the street cleaning department!

“What if potatoes DO cost

“Eight cents a pound?

“Wages are high, too....

“People have no reason to starve.”

I listened to him prayerfully

( More or less ),

For I had never been to college,

And I did n't know much about economics.

But —

As I walked to the window,

And looked out over the veiled, mysterious lights

Of the city,

I could n't help thinking

Of a little baby

That I had seen a few days ago;

A baby of the slums — thin, and joyless,

And old of face,

But with eyes

Like the eyes of the Christ Child....

A baby — crying for bread —

And.... I wondered....