<![CDATA[Poetry X Hunger - Poems by Young Poets]]>

<![CDATA[Poetry X Hunger - Poems by Young Poets]]>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:47:59 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Poem by Caydince Huston]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-caydince-huston“Finish your food,” my dad says
“There are starving kids in Africa.”

Sitting at my dining room table,
6 year old me didn’t know whether Africa was a state or country,
let alone that there were starving children there.
Or, realistically the other way around.
The children there are starving.

I replied, “Daddy, why can’t I send them my plate?”
“We can do that!”
So he sends 2 plates of food,
and the neighbor sends 3.
the city sends 10,
the state sends 400,
and the country sends 10,000.

“We’re helping right, dad?”
“Of course we are!”

Little did 6 year old me know,
those plates of food did nothing.

Local African restaurants flinched
at the sight of the U.S's cheap, imported food.
So, the restaurants shut down,
in fear of competition.

The local farmers’ crop could not compare
to the truckloads of the
“new, free food”.
So, the farmers dig up the plants,
in fear of competition.

I sit down at my dining room table,
once again.

“Dad, I thought we were helping...”

“Finish your food.” my dad replies.
there are starving kids in Africa.”

Caydince Huston is a first year at University of California, Davis. She holds the title of 2025 Tulare County Youth Poet Laureate. She enjoys writing poetry, studying agriculture, and performing.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Chloe Gibeon]]>Sat, 29 Jun 2024 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-chloe-gibeon

Hunger

Its green eyes glint
as it tears bellies with sharp claws.

Some people fall
its teeth
sunk
deep
into
flesh.

Some people
beg
for
just
a
drop.

Some people gorge
but
they keep it for themselves.

They don't know
hunger's green eyes
the pain of the claws.

BIO: Chloe is a seventh grader at Booker T. Washington Middle School.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Leela Fleck]]>Tue, 04 Jun 2024 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-leela-fleckChatter in the Loud Lunchroom

Chatter in the loud lunchroom.
Everyone has food.
Quiet in the sad room.
Everyone is hungry.
Chatter in the loud lunchroom.
Food is eaten, wasted, and shared.
Quiet in the sad room.
Nothing changes.
People in the loud lunchroom,
Finally notice the people in the sad,
Quiet room.
Chatter in the loud lunch room.
There is no longer a sad room.
The narrative has changed.

BIO: Born and raised in NYC, 11 year old Leela loves playing the guitar, singing, ice skating, and writing.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Devin Rounseville]]>Mon, 13 May 2024 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-devin-rounsevilleI am not hungry
I have had enough to eat
My mom is hungry

Devin is an avid enthusiast of nature, flying, music, food, and friends among many other things. He enjoys discovering new thought provoking activities and loves reading. He is most proud of being a good friend to those he is closest to.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Sloane Spiegel]]>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-sloane-spiegel

Skip to 20:20 for poem reading.

The Last Grape

Walking into the grocery store
All that beautiful fruit
What happens if it doesn’t sell?
Does it go down the garbage chute?

What happens if you do that every day?
At supermarkets, school and at home too
Before throwing food in the trash
What else can we do?

Think about all the people that food could feed
Let’s get that food to people in need!
Bruised apples and strawberries and funny looking grapes
Make sure you check those expiration dates

Composting is something that’s easy to drive
I started doing it when I was five
Local grocers, farmers, or a restaurants grill
Just because it didn’t sell doesn’t mean it should wind up in a landfill

So become a food donor; it’s good for the planet
You’re never too old to start a good habit

Let’s fight food waste, let’s start something new
For a greener planet, for me and you.

Bio: Sloane is a 2nd grader who has always cared deeply about ingredients, eating healthy and food waste. She encourages her family to do the same, to recycle and even compost when we can. She loves to read, write and has encouraged friends at school to also give thought to their food and avoiding food waste.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Olivia Kim]]>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-olivia-kimBudae Jjigae

“Should I make budae jjigae?”
My dad asks and I always answer
“Of course!”

No need for two bowls.
Just one big hot pot of fiery red stew
Is enough.
We dip our metal spoons in
As the steam fills the air,
Fogging up my glasses.
I can’t see clearly,
But I can feel the warmth.

I feel the warmth.
The piping hot stew boils.
A bite from the juicy savory meat,
Leaves a big smile on my glistening face.
The mouth-watering spiciness from the red kimchi
Makes me reach for a tall icy glass of water.
Slurping the curly hot long noodles with my dad beside me,
Causing my mom to scold us from the mess we made.

Our family comes together in making this
The warmth filling not only our stomachs
But our kitchen and lives as well.

Taking advantage of the life I have,
Not realizing how moments like this,
Are precious for people in need.

The lives of many are filled with hunger,
Where families are unable to eat together,
Where the parents sit and watch,
Saying “I’m not hungry” to distract.

The food which connects,
Unable to reach the families in hunger,
Unable to bring warmth
Of comfort and safety.
The special warmth of a shared meal.

As a sophomore attending the Culinology Program at Bergen Tech High School in New Jersey, I've learned about how to make food as well as the science behind it. Taking food science classes helped spark a deeper interest in the topic of food, even leading me to write a research paper for the World Food Foundation on the topic of food scarcity in North Korea. At the WFF forum hosted by Cornell, I gained new insights into hunger and food insecurity throughout different countries.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Andrew Skirpan]]>Fri, 06 Oct 2023 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-andrew-skirpanI Don’t Know

I don’t know how to help, I’m only a bit over 10 right now,
But oohhh, the poor and the neglected of the world.
Look at these eyes staring wide into the sky, with no tears left to cry.
All of the food going in the can and down the drain, these people suffer in true pain.
Some people have futures as bright as the sun, these people have zero, slash, none.
Practically nothing to their name, so if you don’t try to help, who would we have to blame?
---------------------------------PONDER----------------------------------
So many medical problems, statisticians can’t keep a true tally,
Better nutrition and education would not seem so shabby.
The people in poverty have no convenience, life so hard and real,
These people are so weak, they even can’t properly heal.
It would make their world if you do your best to stop their suffering,
They might even live a better life for themselves, and others, with deeper meaning.

My name is Andrew Skirpan. I am 10 years old and in the 5th grade. My hobbies are baseball, piano, math, chess, and coding. I am a high academic student and in a lot of organizations and clubs both in and out of school.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Aarna Pandey]]>Thu, 28 Sep 2023 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-aarna-pandey2139841

The hungry boy

I am hungry, neglected and wild,
I am an unwanted poor child.
A crowded, dirty street is my abode,
Ravaged by buzzing mosquitoes, and croaking toads.
Food is all I crave for
My stomach is dry, and my eyes are sore.

Don’t revoke my right to exist
Hunger and food in a magnetic tryst,
A fire that has deluged me in captivity,
And, tested my patience and ability,
Now craves to extinguish eternally,
Externally and internally.

Bathing in the depths of despair,
Under the blanket of poverty, I wear,
The seesaw of starvation and fatigue,
Swings my skeletal physique,
I battle to swim through this pain,
And, shatter the hunger chain.

Through pain and sadness,
In incessant madness,
Humanity stares at me,
Impelling me to be free,
Helping hands reaching out,
Carrying smiles throughout.

Hugs draped with love and compassion,
Where humanity trumps over unjust reasons,
My empty plate now full of food,
Convinces me to believe in good.
In humanity, my soul finds a new home,
And God whispers, ‘’you’re not alone.”

I am Aarna Pandey, student of grade 7 at Lancers International school, Gurgaon, India. I am deeply concerned and passionate about climate change and the United Nations sustainable development goals. My works aims to create awareness about these crucial issues. I have participated in many online workshops that discuss workable solutions to these global problems.

]]><![CDATA[Poems by Aarna Pandey]]>Wed, 19 Apr 2023 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-aarna-pandeyI dream

I dream to stand proud and tall,
And, witness a world with zero hunger for all.
I dream to see children playing in soil,
That is rich in minerals, iron and oil.

I implore the citizens to hold hands,
From nearby towns to distant lands,
And Support our farmers, our real heroes,
To achieve the goal of the mighty zero.

Chasing the winds that blow from the west,
Waking the crops from slumber and rest,
The clouds that sail on the ocean of sky,
A vision I could forever behold in my eye.

The farmers toiling in the blazing Sun,
For us, to feed on rice and bun,
Paddy fields dancing to the songs of winds,
Freeing the misery from our minds.

A world where nobody sleeps without food,
And, children dance with happy mood.
From Asia to Africa we stand as one,
And, share our resources until our goal is done.

A Hunger Free World

With trepidation, I walk through crowded lanes,
Beggars with empty bowls and endless pains,
Starved and wretched in harrowing nights,
Helpless and hopeless, I watch their miserable plight.

Why should they beg for a morsel of food?
Have they never done any good?
Is hunger a curse reserved for the poor?
And, the rich sit atop opulence and grandeur.

The fallacy of equity rings in my ears,
The empty stomachs drenched with tears,
Will this colossal gap ever be bridged?
Among the poor, and the rich.

Beautiful eyes, submerged in excruciating pain,
Unspoken horrors, words can never explain,
People fighting over a sack of grains,
Clenched with indestructible hunger chains.

The planet and its resources belong to all,
Then, why don’t we break the inequality wall?
Food is a necessity for our race to survive
And, yet we keep fellow humans deprived.

The chain of hunger must be destroyed,
A global issue we can no longer avoid,
Zero hunger begins with zero wastage,
This message must be advocated on global stage.

United, we can extinguish the fire of hunger,
And, make our planet a heavenly wonder,
Where mindful and sustainable cultivation is observed,
To alleviate hunger, a goal well-deserved.

I am Aarna Pandey, student of grade 6 at Lancers International school, Gurgaon, India. I am deeply concerned and passionate about climate change and the United Nations sustainable development goals. My works aims to create awareness about these crucial issues. I have participated in many online workshops that discuss workable solutions to these global problems.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Aby Hope Ferreira De Souza Burillo]]>Sat, 15 Apr 2023 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-aby-hope-ferreira-de-souza-burilloEl Agua
Original Version in Spanish

Veo el agua caer del cielo
Todos se miraban como lo vieron
Estaba Limpia y Puro
Algo que nadie hubiera visto
Como si estuvieran asustados
Lo miraron, mucho mejoraron

Como Mucha gente me decía
Salvemos el mundo si o si
El agua que tomamos es fácil de encontrar
Pero el agua limpia no la encontraras

Agua Sucia, que te vayas
No te queremos mas aqui
Porque así nos ensuciaras
Al Planeta y a mi

Lo bueno que recuerdes
Es que no estás solo
Juntos mejoramos y un lindo planeta viviremos

Agua Agüita como un buen niño te prometo que no te fallare
Yo me comprometo a defenderte
Así Como Pasan los días
Es un dia bueno para hacer una diferencia

Cada gota de agua cuenta
La gente no tiene conciencia
Y lo que hacen es malgastar
Llegara un dia de sequía
Que Dios nos favorezca, y nadie más

Levantate gente, levantate
Es hora de reunion
Porque nuestro mundo necesita acción

Water
English Version

I see the water fall from the sky
They all looked at each other as they saw it
It was clean and pure
Something that no one would have seen
like they were scared
They looked at it, much improved

As many people told me
Let's save the world yes or yes
The water we drink is easy to find
But you won't find clean water

Dirty water, go away
We don't want you here anymore
Because then you dirty the planet and to me

The good thing you should always remember
is that you are not alone
Together we improve and a beautiful planet we will live

Water water like a good child I promise you that I will not fail you
I promise to defend you
As the days go by
It's a good day to make a difference

Every drop of water counts
people have no conscience
And what they do is waste
There will come a day of drought
May God favor us, and no one else

Get up people, get up
It's meeting time
Our world needs action

My Name is Aby, and I have been inspired to take action on the water is life project as it is a worldwide problem around the world I have chosen to make a poem in spanish.

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