Falling Through the Cracks - Diane Scantlebury

Today I saw a hungry man steal food
But I turned a blind eye,
As I opened the shop door to the street
He rushed past and stepped out,
Clutching the carton to his chest
Cradling it as if it were
A precious baby,
It happened in a fraction of a moment
So, was I complicit in his crime?
Surely the travesty was that he should need
To carry out this desperate act,
Whereas I had the luxury
Of choosing what I fancied,
How had he fallen so easily
Through the cracks of life’s pavement?

Diane Scantlebury