on the road through baclaran

A child squatting on the pavement peeing on the side of the street.
A family sleeping on the grass beside uncollected garbage bags with flies circling around.
A few young men playing cards and betting some coins.
A mother washing clothes beside a urinal.
A man peddling yellow corn on a pushcart wiped his hands on some dirty rags then went back again to arranging his wares
A hawker selling some pirated cds and dvds for 50 pesos.
And every now and then an occasional lovers spat where the male drags the female by the hair amidst too much screaming and pedestrians looking by.

I have always wondered what happened to:
the government with all its promises of helping the poor
the church which is a few meters beside it
the society which passes by these scenes every day without doing anything (or i am just not aware of it)

I have also wondered why:
these people have moved to manila in the first place
these people choose to live along the streets
these people were not relocated
I seem to be the only one noticing

or has everybody noticed it too and includes it in:
the candles that are lighted every day
the novenas that are said every wednesday
the votes they pass next election

i am hoping that:
this scene would change soon
this scene would improve
this scene would make


you

act
open your eyes
realize
pray

that
this country
with people
so blessed
despite
everything

should
also
see the small
stuff
and
act