Two Weeks in Europe

Just got back from a trip to Europe 
One week in London, one in Paris
Stayed in luxury hotels
Spent money like my wife’s an heiress
 

Opulence was visible everywhere

Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like

For the price of wine and dinner 

You could buy a kid a bike 

 

But, poor folks live there too

Depending on charity for their livings

Holding their cups out on the sidewalks

Trying to subsist on people’s givings

 

I took a long walk out of the city center

Strolling through a ritzy neighborhood 

Everything was clean and lovely

For those residents, life is good

 

Up ahead I saw a well-dressed man 

Drinking coffee outside his door

You could tell he was very wealthy

He would never want for more 

 

He was holding his coffee cup about waist-high

Standing there in quiet contemplation 

I reached out my hand toward his cup

As if to drop in a donation 

 

He jerked back his cup with a roaring “NO!”

He had a shocked-look on his face

I laughed out loud and said “I’m kidding” 

Gave his shoulder a friendly brace

 

Fortunately, he appreciated my sense of humor

And a big smile creased his face

He said “That was a good one!”

As I continued on apace