As I exit my apartment,

My small feet travel to what feels like an infinite amount of stairs

I see my neighbor sleeping on the floor

Maybe it's more comfortable sleeping out here?

Mi madre gently squeezes my hand as we move along

She always tells me to look both ways

I look left, I look right

I see a man with a shopping cart full of cans

Wow, he must really enjoy drinking soda as much as me

Mi madre wraps her arm around me as we cross the street

The smell of all the delicious foods always overwhelms me

The bright LED lights stuns me for a split second

I rub my eyes and see another child just like me

Vanilla ice cream in hand but he still looks sad

“Sorry, we can’t get that this week” his father said

They probably haven't finished last weeks ice cream

As we exit, we are greeted by a man with a lot of holes in his clothes

He has a cup with a lot of coins in them! He must be rich!

Mi madre drops a dollar into his cup

“I was in his shoes before you were born.

If you ever think you have nothing to give,

Remember that giving out hope is free.”