Ravished Earth

Famine and locusts

Have ravished the land

Prophetic words written

By withered hands

Vacant stares longingly

Look to the sky

While thirsty lips drink

Polluted streams dry

 

A man works twelve hours

His back to the sun

His hands are so blistered

But this work must be done

For he has a family

Who need his support

But when the crops fail

What can be brought

 

A young girl sells cloth

A few pieces of lace

She's covered in rags

With marks on her face

Her hair is all matted

And she's covered in dirt

"Come on please mister,

A few pence won't hurt" 

 

A young mother wakes

Her baby is crying

For all she could know

Her child maybe be dying

Malnutrition and disease

Are so common here

That it fails to move us

We don't shed a tear

 

We  just change the image

On our TV screen

That cries to our heart

To interviene

How can we ignore

Ten thousand souls

As we reach in our pockets

But our pockets have holes

 

And as we dither

And take time to decide

That chances of life

Are being denied

And so as we spend

Our lives on the fence

These people are striving

To make a few pence

 

A man works twelve hours

Continually sowing

Seeds for the harvest

That he knows won't be growing

A young girl sells lace

That nobody's buying

She may not make any money

But she'll die trying

 

A young mother wakes

Her child is crying

She's not the best mother

But she is trying

She'll take some time

To sit alone and pray

For she and her child

Have survived another day

 

How can we say

What needs to be done

Least we forget

The act of the Son

How can we ignore

Or fail to see

"If you do it for these

Then you do it for me "

Reviews

[Bubo]

You are a seeing man with a soul of words.....not much I can say because every line shouted truth.......you really are a fabulous writer and should think about reading your poetry.

We just change the image
On our TV screen
That cries to our heart
To interviene
How can we ignore
Ten thousand souls
As we reach in our pockets
But our pockets have holes

[Desert Dreamer]

What a great poem to make people aware, so many are poor and getting more poor every day. I am frustrated about this whole system that gives breaks to big businesses and people with a lot of money. I don't get it. The middle class is shrinking and so many jobs are being lost. It is time to change the rules, to stop giving tax breaks and incentive money to these big businesses and give them to people who are "trying". So your poem added fuel to things that have been on my mind including the pollution in our waters. This is a great poem. Thank you for sharing.

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

Carl, hello
What a powerful poem . It is in your face and it is sadly so true .. I love what i call awareness poetry .. this needs to be read and heeded by one and all.
I like the reference to the verse in the Bible.
This is one of the best i have read.

Chloe

[LisetteCanWrite!]

Very sad and powerfully written. Mark on to the times abroad.. You have so many lines that stand out and amidst all the sadness there is a great light shining through. The word "trying".. in the second stanza.. that word says it all these days. Waking to another day is a blessing and a gift that we often take for granted. Great to see you out here.. been awhile! Keep it up.. look forward to seeing some more from you!