Walking down the street

Staring at the dirt road and filthy people around me

Mud and trash covered the ground

I gagged at the ugly sight

But as I walked,

A penny caught my eye

I picked it up

It was blackened and slimy

I rubbed it with my thumb

Letting it show its shine

The sunlight glinting off of it

I saw my reflection in it

Clean, silky hair

Pale face and moist lips

My face wasn’t bony or dirty

I turned my head to look at a man

He was the complete opposite of me

I felt sadness for him

I drowned in it

He was trying to sell some fruit,

Holding something in his bony hand

I stared at his dirty face,

Wanting to help so badly it hurt

So I added a hundred dollar bill to this penny of mine

And I gave it to him,

Smiling

Smiling for him

For what I just did

His children ran to him,

Hugging him and looking at the money

The mother walked over,

Also smiling

But bony from starvation

Dirty, knotted hair

She looked so happy

She handed me a large fruit,

 
Speaking in a language I didn’t know

It sounded like gibberish,

But she sounded kind

I accepted it,

But pushed it back into her hands

Confusion washed over her face

I wanted her and her family to have it

She understood

But she wrapped her arms around me,

Crying of...

Joy; she smiled at me

I felt so fulfilled

Glad to know I was helping people

Instead of being selfish like usual

A simple penny changed my life

A simple, shiny penny