A face;
Glittering,
Glowing,
Multi-hued,
Stare at me everyday
At the street corner.
When the traffic lights turn red
And my car is halted
She takes the opportunity,
To show her painted face;
Surprising some
By her sudden appearance,
Making a few women scream,
Panic writ on their face.
She, with her painted face,
Just stands there
Miming,
Trying to draw attention,
Begging for a few dimes,
Before it is time
For the lights to turn green.
I roll down my car window
And hand her a few coins.
Her glittering face
Her yellow painted lips,
Part in a smile.
Her yellow eyes dream;
Dreams that are probably
as multi-hued
as the colours on her face.
She takes the coins
And looks into my eyes.
Then, from the emptiness of her heart
That her colours mask,
Comes a cheerful voice,
Showering on me,
A few blessings
From behind her disguise.
Copyright @ Goutam Dutta
Written for Sadje’s blog prompt #Whatdoyousee #42
Goutam's Writings 
A fantastic tale on this image. Thanks a lot for joining in.
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Enjoyed this take! Provocative and eerie somehow 🙂
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Beggars like these are known in India as “Bahuroopie”. Not very common now. When I was a kid, I used to be very scared of them….usually they didnt speak, only mimed and begged. 😊
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I think I’ve seen a “Bahuroopie” now through your eyes.
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A brilliant take on the prompt!
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Thank you so much! 😊🙏
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You’re welcome!
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While they did speak, because of their different costumes and language your verse reminded me of when I had to go through one of the Mexican/American Borders which is basically a tourist type trap. We were warned by the person who was driving that a) most of what they were selling was just that inexpensive tourist items and b) not to even look out the window.
I’m sure some were just trying to sell items to feed their families…
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Yes…in India they are usually beggars looking for some alms. They are poor and harmless usually though modernity has polluted them and there have been cases in recent times of trying to steal the mobile phone as you roll down the window and they engage you. There could be an accomplice hidden somewhere too, waiting for an opportunity. The costume is primarily to attract attention.
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A powerful piece, Goutam. 🙂
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Thanks so much. Happy to know that you enjoyed my writing. 😊
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You are welcome. 🙂
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A great take on the prompt and so well penned.
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Thank you so much. So happy to note that you have loved reading the poem. 😊
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I remember the stories about bahurupiye…they did scare kids with the face paint and all! Well written.
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Thank you Punam..🙏😊
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You are welcome. 😊
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You are welcome.v
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Your poem is beautifully crafted! Sadly, there are so many more people begging at the traffic lights now.
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So happy to know that you like my poem. 😊
Agree with your views about begging. The divide between the haves and have-nots is probably gowing. Unfortunately the answers to these issues are complex.
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