Poem by Joanne Macias

A single grain of rice 

I have value. 
I am important. 
I have purpose. 

I cry staring at my bowl. 
I fear the world forgot me. 
It’s empty, 
Like the promises made to save me. 

Today we got rice. 
Yesterday too. 
I used to count each grain, 
But now each hunger pain 
Drives me insane. 

I wonder what it’s like, 
To not question if I will eat today. 
I wonder if they realise 
That we are as important 
As every single grain of rice.

Joanne Macias is a multi-disciplinary creative from Western Sydney, with multiple publications available both online and in print. She is an alumnus of the 2023 Westwords Academy and will embark on her first residency in Ireland in 2025 to complete her poetry collection which explores body confidence. She loves to find interesting ways to challenge reader perception by placing her characters in truly unique situations. You can follow her writing adventures on Instagram at @joanne_macias_writer

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