Should we feel compassion or some sense of empathy for beggars? It can often seem like beggars should be nominated to win an Oscar for their acting chops. They seem to be masters at acting sad and desperate. And what can we do but feel sorry for them? Siphiwe Ka Ngwenya wrote the poem ‘begging’ because she realized the plight of those who were genuine beggars. She saw those who really suffered in sad circumstances.
The poem is written in free verse. There are no punctuation marks. This gives a feeling of despair. Beggars have made begging their profession. They ask to survive one more day. Some people work for a nine to five institution. Others are autonomous. Whatever the case, no one at work or in the community really cares how we will survive another day. Some go home after work and start drinking. Others drop down in front of the TV. And then there are those who go out and socialize or have a second job.
The beggars ask to survive another day. The poet uses a lowercase letter “i” to diminish the status of the narrator. The narrator witnesses what many of us prefer not to see: the desperation in the streets. He simply tells us what he sees. And who is the narrator? Well, if you’re walking down a crowded street, every stranger you pass is nobody in particular. In fact, you are nobody either. Beggars are “nobodies”. However, every person who is on the street, for whatever reason, has a facial expression that tells a story. Some expressions are deeply engraved and, like graffiti, are not easy to remove. The faces of the beggars show pain. Their faces are dark. They have sores and bruises on their hands and body. They are blistered and shaky. Fever? Cold? They suffer from anxiety.
When there is no work, there is no money, which means there is no food, no roof, no security, no clothes, no medicine… nothing. When we have nothing, we feel hopeless and anxious. When we need things and we don’t have money, we feel the need to ask someone looking for help. The extreme case of asking is begging.
But why then do beggars lie? They do this to cover their shortcomings; their defects. They cannot find work and feel useless. They hide behind lies to get something… anything… to survive another day. his lies are self service and cannot hurt those who are bound. the lies are harmless. In South African cities there are many different cultures. In every culture and in every language there is poverty: someone suffers; someone is asking; someone is begging
And the poet sees them all… as he passes.