In Spite of Circumstances

The young lad
Looked up
And smiled at me
With the radiance
Of an angel,
And the innocence
Of a child,
Oblivious to
The contradictions
Of his life.
Fate had not
Been kind to him,
For he had seen
More suffering
And deprivation
Than anyone
Should ever
Be forced to endure,
Yet he begrudged
No one that fact,
And refused to let that
Pull him under.
He had every reason
To curse
The circumstances
Of his life,
But that was furthest
From his mind.
Instead he radiated joy,
And I could only
Stare in awe
Of his spirit.