Poetry, poverty,

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.

http://blogactionday.org/

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..

  

delete reply patricia50 wrote on Jul 15, '09 Good post. They always say look the other way. I cant. Hunger is now in America too.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Oct 17, '08 skeezicks1957 said My 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. A 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.

Comment deleted at the request of the author.

delete reply skeezicks1957 wrote on Oct 17, '08 My 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.

delete reply ppiccola wrote on Oct 16, '08 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!

delete reply bostonsdandd wrote on Oct 16, '08 I 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. http://bostonsdandd.multiply.com/journal/item/209/Poetry_WednesdayOctober_15AgapeBy_TLB

delete reply elizelizeliz wrote on Oct 16, '08, edited on Oct 16, '08 Is no chanje in historia mani tausend jahre, Is sad.

delete reply tylerh wrote on Oct 15, '08 how glum it is.. how we westerners 'enjoy' poverty.. poignant post

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Oct 15, '08 The poem is really something special, thank you. Several 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."

delete reply eccentricmare wrote on Oct 15, '08 Brilliant blend of participation, I'd not read that poem before and I so appreciate your sharing it!

delete reply sweetpotatoqueen wrote on Oct 15, '08 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!

delete reply vickiecollins wrote on Oct 14, '08 Very good poem about poverty...I will privately message you a quesiton, hope you have time to answer. http://vickiecollins.multiply.com/journal/item/499/pictures_to_words_reflections.week_5_using_for_poetry_wednesday_as_well

delete reply dianahopeless wrote on Oct 14, '08 I know that feeling of hunger and finding release in sleep. I hope I never have to experience it again. This 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.

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Oct 14, '08 How easy it is for us to not 'see' these people or acknowledge their existence!

delete reply lauritasita wrote on Oct 14, '08 Your 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.

delete reply sugarpiehuny wrote on Oct 14, '08 The message is there, so sad but so true.. everyone needs to realize it can be you! Thank You

delete reply billatplay wrote on Oct 14, '08 I find it difficult to relate to poverty. Not 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.

delete reply jadedruid wrote on Oct 14, '08 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.

delete reply luluone wrote on Oct 14, '08 The poem is pretty but it's not something nice perhaps 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.

delete reply starfishred wrote on Oct 14, '08 TO BAD YOU ARN'T OVER HERE IN SF THERE ARE SO MANY HOMELESS ON THE STREET IT REALLY IS SAD