CRACKED MUD

hunger, starvation

CRACKED MUD

 

Bloated bellies

Void of food, drink

Rich with air, the kind that hurts

It pleads to be nourished

No mother’s milk, flattened like a pancake

Arid landscape

Cracked mud to the horizon

 

Naught cultivates, not even a wildflower, a bush

Children wail as they cling to mother’s long sari

Bony spurs bulge out of skin, crave meat

The cows starve as well

 

Drought is the nemesis of this African universe

Powerful sun rejects the clouds

Still, clear starlit night sky

The moon rises and falls

Yet the rains hide beyond the planets

An aura of hunger casts gloom upon this domain

 

Reviews

[SM]

"It pleads to be nourished" you bring out the desperation and struggle to live for these beautiful children. it hits the right notes. beautiful read.

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you for your review; an important situation
Best, B.

[Tamar]

You wrote a poem that defines the struggle in humanity, and the dire rendering of it through African suffering. This piece reaches to the core, and made me come to terms with the imperative for change, the conclusion to the reader that wants no more than to write and act on this issue. Good work in this poem!

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you Tamar for a very thoughtful review!
Best
Betty

[Bryan Sefton]

Your photo shows the horror of starvation. Your words show the futility in famine. Your words go right to the heart, and we know what it's like to feel helpless.

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you for visiting and reviewing my poem
Best, Betty

[Fran Marie]

An intense write up that packs a punch
of harsh realities for these poor children
to live in a environment under dire conditions
All too sad to be sure..well written

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you so much Fran, appreciated!

[Einstein Noodle]

it's hard for me to find words after reading ... so ... well done :( it hits home without blaming nor chastising anyone .. it is bare bones to the core .. hits home like a sledge hammer .. the pic is heart wrenching .. we all have a part in reaching out in such cases .. not only hunger but all aspects of humanity says i! if we do what we can and then just a bit more we make a difference eh!?
E.

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you Einstein for your thoughtful review!

[W. Barrett Munn]

I think you might could use “drought is the nemesis of the African universe” as a repeating line in the poem, a good line that can be expanded.

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you for your kind words!

[Miss Sharon]

(An aura of hunger casts gloom upon this domain) Such sadness in this world of ours. The faces of these little children is heartbreaking. There are many programs we can donate to in order to save these little ones, yet I wonder WHAT are we saving them for? Misery, hunger, death? What an emotional write this is. ~Sharon

[Betty Hermelee]

Thanks my dear Sharon... tis a horrific problem with global warming and drought on top of it
Best, B.

[Cherrie Palmer]

Your poem is overwhelming and stirs the soul. So many around the world need our help.

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you so much Cherrie, much appreciated,
Best, Betty

[William Michael Reeves]

Yikes!! That was intense! So much going on in the world easy to forget the problems we already have, and always will. I read that you have planets on your mind lately.

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you WM... yes it's so intense that these poor souls die of starvation ever day... and don't even think about it! Best,
B

[JE Falcon]

Good Poem, haunting subject. --- We have the right to uncontrolled breeding, just to see disaster Strick.

[Betty Hermelee]

Thank you so much JE, appreciate your words...
Best, B