"The Happiness no man can steal from me"

In a crammed New York street
Where the living is tough
And men yell for six pennies a day
And the cold is stiff
Shared with a hunger throb
Say who’s face shall blaze in gay?

Just faces of faces of hard working years
And misery mutual in the eyes
A mumble, a complaint
A curse always found
Each soul and the secret in cries

Then from among the disarray
Unbefitting and strange
A gentleman on his stallion strides
As hats fall in honor
The hearts of the crowd
Envious craving in despise

The man then halts
As he spotted a smiling boy
With a polishing cream and a brush on his side
He bounds off his stallion
As men move away
“Can you polish my shoe it’s dirty”
He lied

The boy smiling said
“Yes sir, gladly”
And polished his shoes till the rim
“Are you happy boy?”
The gentleman questioned
“Oh always”
The boy said with a grin

“Say why, when your cloths are torn so?
And you work for a penny till night?
And say why as your life is so dull
And from sickness and famine you fright?”

“Oh no sir, I’m jolly
For still my loving home to go
And with my dear family to be.
Oh and I’m thankful
God has gave me to sight
The sea and the sun
And that happiness no man can steal from me!”

“Smart boy” The gentleman agreed
Dropping five pennies on his knee
As he road his stallion
The words burned in his mind
‘The happiness no man can steal from me!”