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POVERTY
In keeping with ‘’Blog Action Day 2008’’ I am keeping to the theme of Poverty for todays poem. Tomorrow I hope to be among millions of people all over the world who post a blog about poverty,
Please sign up here to do the same.
The Iraqi poet Muhammad Mahdi Mahdi al-Jawahiri, who suffered exile and oppression, achieved fame in the 1930's and 1940's. His poems incited public criticism of political decadence and compromise. In "Lullaby for the Hungry," he describes the temporary relief that sleep offers the hungry, who are neglected by the political leadership.
Lullaby for the Hungry
Sleep, You hungry people, sleep!
The gods of food watch over you.
Sleep, if you are not satiated
By wakefulness, then sleep shall fill you.
Sleep, with thoughts of smooth-as butter-promises,
Mingled with words as sweet as honey.
Sleep, and enjoy the best of health.
What a fine thing is sleep for the wretched!
Sleep till the resurrection morning
Then it will be time enough to rise.
Sleep in the swamps
Surging with silty waters.
Sleep to the tune of mosquitoes humming
As if it were the crooning of doves.
Sleep to the echo of long speechifyings
By great and eminent power politicians.
Sleep, You hungry people sleep!
For sleep is one of the blessings of peace.
It is stupid for you to rise,
Sowing discord where harmony reigns.
Sleep, for the reform of corruption
Simply consists in your sleeping on.
Sleep, You hungry people, sleep!
Don’t cut off others’ livelihood.
Sleep, your skin cannot endure
The shower of sharp arrows when you wake.
Sleep, for the yards of jail houses
Are all teeming with violent death,
And you are the more in need of rest
After the harshness of oppression.
Sleep, and the leaders will find ease
From a sickness that has no cure.
Sleep, You hungry people, sleep!
For sleep is more likely to protect your rights
And it is sleep that is most conducive
To stability and discipline.
Sleep, I send my greetings to you;
I send you peace, as you sleep on.
Sleep, You hungry people, sleep!
The gods of food watch over you.
Sleep, You hungry people, sleep!
The gods of food watch over you
This is a page full of poverty related poetry. It’s just a little hard to find, follow the link to the Worldbank and then follow the links on the site in this order.
http://www.worldbank.org/
Home > Topics > Poverty > Poverty Analysis > Overview > A Collection of Poems and Personal Accou..
TO BAD YOU ARN'T OVER HERE IN SF THERE ARE SO MANY HOMELESS ON THE STREET IT REALLY IS SAD
ReplyDeleteThe poem is pretty but it's not something nice
ReplyDeleteperhaps the poor thinks "Sleep is my angel.." they don't even think of anything but sleep.
I found many homeless people here- even in some parts of Jakarta, the capital city- some live under the bridges, or just wherever they find a place to sleep.
Poignant. You may have inspired me. I once took care of a homeless person. Took her food and water. She lived in a tent in the woods. She will killed by a hit and run driver.
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to relate to poverty.
ReplyDeleteNot because I have not experienced it but because I have.
Extreme and hopeless, alone and desperate looking for a sack and finding it, once seemed like ecstasy.
To me it was life and something I had to beat. I was 15 years old no mother or father and a war starting.
No money either.
Challenges yes, poverty no.
The message is there, so sad but so true.. everyone needs to realize it can be you! Thank You
ReplyDeleteYour poem is very moving, and thanks for passing along this message about making people more aware through the poetry and photography here. Any yes, in answering your question about Langston Hughes, I put a message in my post about him for you to give you more information about him. Thanks for participating and sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteHow easy it is for us to not 'see' these people or acknowledge their existence!
ReplyDeleteI know that feeling of hunger and finding release in sleep. I hope I never have to experience it again.
ReplyDeleteThis poetry and the photos are not pretty, but it should be 'out there', so something can be done about poverty. Thank you for sharing and pointing others in the right direction.
Very good poem about poverty...I will privately message you a quesiton, hope you have time to answer.
ReplyDeletehttp://vickiecollins.multiply.com/journal/item/499/pictures_to_words_reflections.week_5_using_for_poetry_wednesday_as_well
Powerful words accompanied by illustrations that should remind us all how important it is to support our local organizations who feed the hungry of our countries!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant blend of participation, I'd not read that poem before and I so appreciate your sharing it!
ReplyDeleteThe poem is really something special, thank you.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago, a friend returned from her assignment with the Peace Corps, on the Cabo Verde Islands. When I asked what it was like, she said "Much like here and everywhere; some rich, some poor, mostly poor. The poor are kept down by the class system, the powerful, the greedy, the political system and by keeping them in ignorance. Much like here and everywhere."
how glum it is.. how we westerners 'enjoy' poverty.. poignant post
ReplyDeleteIs no chanje in historia mani tausend jahre, Is sad.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this post! You found a poem which brings home the meaning of what it's kind to be broke and downridden. How easy it is for us to forget what it's like to be without someone to love us and take care of us! These people in the beautiful pictures remember what it's like to be loved, but for reasons they only know they can't survive in this world anymore. They take the "high road" and say life IS worth living, but they don't have the means to take care of themselves. My question is how many of them really have family who just doesn't care about them. It's so sad there is no humanity in the world today. The price of it is just too high. My heart goes out to people in this situations. And thank you for sharing this with us, for opening our eyes to the heartbreaking poverty which still exists around the world.
ReplyDeletehttp://bostonsdandd.multiply.com/journal/item/209/Poetry_WednesdayOctober_15AgapeBy_TLB
WOW this really touched me, I am about to have lunch and just wondered how many of us are lucky enough not to have to sleep to forget starvation! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to the children and to their mothers. But as far as I am concerned the men can get their happy buts out to go find work and mail home the check. I have no sympathy for them.
ReplyDeleteA lot of these children live in the streets on their own they have no mothers or fathers, there are communities all over the world where all the men have been taken or died in wars. You only need read some of the other posts to see that sometimes, where ever you live there is no work, not for men OR women. No one wants to live in poverty.
ReplyDeleteA lot of these children live in the streets on their own they have no mothers or fathers, there are communities all over the world where all the men have been taken or died in wars. You only need read some of the other posts to see that sometimes, where ever you live there is no work, not for men OR women. No one wants to live in poverty.
ReplyDeleteGood post. They always say look the other way. I cant. Hunger is now in America too.
ReplyDelete