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

<![CDATA[Poetry X Hunger - Poems by Young Poets]]>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:37:05 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Poem by Eli Murray Prawer]]>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-eli-murray-prawerCan And Can’t

I see Matzoh Balls, Schnitzel, Sufganiyot
The food of Jewish history, of my history
Recycling recipes represent a tapestry of community
Unbroken tradition that bleeds into the broken present
A present of inequality, of injustice

Every Friday, I Can
eat Challah during Shabbat, a passed down sweetness that fulfills my spirit and soul
Every Spring, I Can
prepare a full Seder table, and taste the inspirational stories of my ancestors who escaped
enslavement eternities ago
But every day
I see the news, chronicling the crises of today. I feel it deep down
Other members of our community Can’t
Put the food of tradition, The food of community, The food of life
On the table

To think we’ve moved past the days of starvation, of deprivation,
That has plagued the journey of my people, and the people of the world
To hope and pray would be an understatement, that maybe one day we all Can
Sit together, a connected humanity
To do away with the struggles of the past, To embrace community with compassion,
Nourishment of the body and souls
Maybe one day we all Can.

THEME: Historical Hunger

Eli is a 16-year-old rising high school senior from the Upper West Side who is passionate about fighting food insecurity. Since preschool, Eli has been involved in efforts to address food insecurity, packing thousands of meals, serving on the youth leadership board of God's Love We Deliver, collecting more than 200 pounds of food for City Harvest, raising money for West Side Campaign Against Hunger with a synagogue group, and becoming a finalist in the organization's Writing Against Hunger poetry contest. Beyond food insecurity, Eli is passionate about psychology, Judaism, literature, and music. Eli plays the viola, runs track and field, enjoys reading, and loves spending time outdoors in parks or at the beach.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Nikhil Mehra]]>Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-nikhil-mehraOur Thanksgiving Food Chain

November. Leaves crackle beneath my feet on West 114th Street
As I walk toward the Broadway Presbyterian Church, silent against
The metallic roar of the M104 and the frantic chaos of students
Trying to drown out the city.

I join hands with fellow students to form a lifeline
Youngest to oldest
A living stream from our chapel at St Hilda’s St Hugh’s School
Into the church basement’s quiet mouth.

Hand to hand, we transfer the weight of
Cans of food, heavy and cold as river stones
Boxes of rice that shift like silty sand
The rhythmic flow of tiny palms against tin and cardboard.

The transfer of love and caring
Not just food, but a current
Each member of our community necessary
By the simple act of not letting go, until the next child had a grip.

The chain is soon gone but the weight remains

floating

A realization that tethered me
to the Thanksgiving tables of others
We are only as full as the things we choose to pass along.

THEME: Childhood Hunger

Nikhil is a rising sophomore student in New York City. He became interested in the issue of food insecurity while in middle school and began volunteering at local food pantries and with a local community organization focused on welcoming immigrants. He also enjoys tutoring elementary and middle school students in math. A competitive swimmer, Nikhil swims on his high school varsity team and competes in regional competitions with his club team.

]]><![CDATA[Poem by Lily Volpp]]>Wed, 17 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.poetryxhunger.com/poems-by-young-poets/poem-by-lily-volppHunger Unleashed

An empty hole
Shutting you off
Drowning you in a pool of fog
Invisible in the whirling tsunami

Growling pain
Screaming silence
Mouth watering
Endless wanting
Desperate yearning
Echoing rumble within you

A nightmare of gray
Spirit switched off
Abandoned in a dark realm

Fears racing rapidly
Will I ever eat again?
Will my body ever feel full?
Will the pain ever stop?

Knives stabbing
Sending a piercing shock through you

An inferno of hunger

BIO: Lily is 10 years old and lives in New York City. She's in 5th grade at PS9. She plays basketball, tennis, and piano. Lily also loves to read and write.

]]><![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.

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