Begging

in some parts of the world, they beg
for food, for water, for medicine.
Here, we beg for a dehumidifier for
a damp basement, dark mortar that
never dries, the smell of wet.
some stood in line early, and received,
others dashed from meetings to find
none, gone in a moment to the
earlybirds, we cannot be earlybirds,
those who work and can't rush out
the door to wait.
I begged, I gnashed my teeth, nicely,
and an abandoned cart rolled up with a
dehumidifier inside, for me, for
my dank, wet basement.
Sometimes begging works.