Caricature (Collaboration)

Two tourists traversing the narrow Italian street,
Shopping bags brimming with affluence,
Turning away from a ragged group
of gaunt homeless children.
Ignoring those sad, dirty faces
as if they don't exist.

Thoughts turning to frivolous things;
spending more of their money,
Street artists sketching caricatures,
captivate their attention.
Bartering a price, soon they are poised
by the easel with anticipation.

Without hesitation, illustration begins.
Smiling faces await the amplification
of a clever cartoon likeness.
Charcoal, animating principle,
frame shallow faces of indifference,
eyes, void of humanity materialize.

Portrait complete, presented for approval,
the tourists are taken aback.
Their faces distorted, exaggerated,
those awful children in the background.
Disappointed, because they knew
in their hearts, this is not how we are.
They refused to pay the agreed fee,
gathered their bounty, went on their way.

With no regret, the artist knows he has done
all that he could to portray the indifference
of mankind to poverty in this world,
though rejected by the very people
who are ignorant, blind to the realities of hunger.
Worth the loss of a meager pittance, he turns
to the next greedy tourists in line.

(Three way collaboration for a club contest. Please comment the other 2 writers as well.)

Melody Ann
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/author.html?id=398590

Colm
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/author.html?id=362427

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