Do you know the sweetness of the chocolate?

I don't know the bitter smell of chocolate

The smell of chocolate to me, without receiving a single penny

It is the smell of suffering from harsh labour

This is no longer a sweet scent to soothe sleepless nights.

I don't know the sweetness of chocolate

The taste of chocolate to me

No matter how hard you work, it's the taste of fear that you can't avoid being beaten.

This is no longer the sweetness that soothes my heart

Do you know the children who work on the cacao farm?

The fact that more than 60 cacao beans have to be harvested every day

And if they can't, they'll be beaten badly

Do you know that?

The cacao that the children shed their blood and sweat on the farm

It's for the sleepless city kids

How can you feel sweet in chocolate?

How dare you eat it while being happy?

The chocolate we eat when we are happy

The bloody tears and sweat of the children on the farm mixed together

Why are you pretending not to know?

Don't you feel sorry for the children who work if you don't get hourly wages?

What they gain from abusing children is the happiness of city children,

Children's sleep, children's laugh

But, don't you know?

People who work hard to make chocolate are also children.

Are you still fond of chocolate?

Can you still eat chocolate with a smile?

if yes,

don't you know the truth?

Or are you pretending not to know?

Reviews

[Scott Kris]

It is an eye opening thing to see child abuse in the chocolate industry. Yet why am I surprised? Every industry abuses whomever it can. Because the goal is not to serve humanity or make a better world. It to become powerful and accumulating wealth.

So we Ruth stop consuming anything we didn’t make ourselves or we keep participating in this world as we strive to achieve a more global ethic of humane behavior.

Not sure if a chocolate boycott would matter much. They would just abuse the children another way until the children are placed in better care.

I wonder how we could provide a better life for these children?

Can they be adopted? Can we get them into schools? Can we find their families a better means to survive?

And here is the power of conversation; now we can carefully consider and find better action points to heal our world. We can use our influence, wealth and time to support those who can physically go and achieve these changes. We can support missions and civil rights charities. We can support legitimate organizations who are looking to make these changes in many ways.
And maybe, just maybe, we can find ethically produced chocolates to enjoy as well.

Thank you for sharing your writing. I e joyed reading your work.

Scott.

[Luna]

I am also praying that child abuse in factories will end as soon as possible. Thank you for your comment, Scott.
-Luna

[Mk.t.g]

Such a deep message and the brutal reality of child labor in factories. Nice poem, Luna!

[Luna]

Thanks Mk.t.g!❤️

[Mk.t.g]

You're Welcome!