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Here are some hunger-focused poems written by young poets.  To see more hunger poems by YOUNG! poets, visit Instagram at poetryxhunger_   Note the ending underscore.

Poem by Allison Rose

3/21/2021

2 Comments

 
Aid‌ ‌and‌ ‌Development‌ ‌
 ‌
All‌ ‌across‌ ‌the‌ ‌land‌ ‌indigenous‌ ‌people‌ ‌despair,‌ ‌
They‌ ‌have‌ ‌limited‌ ‌fresh‌ ‌produce‌ ‌to‌ ‌eat‌ ‌or‌ ‌share.‌ ‌
They‌ ‌have‌ ‌rice‌ ‌and‌ ‌empty‌ ‌calories‌ ‌galore,‌ ‌ ‌
But‌ ‌micronutrients‌ ‌are‌ ‌what‌ ‌they‌ ‌need‌ ‌more.‌ ‌
 ‌
Who‌ ‌do‌ ‌we‌ ‌trust‌ ‌to‌ ‌help‌ ‌them‌ ‌be‌ ‌free‌ ‌
From‌ ‌the‌ ‌suppressive‌ ‌hunger‌ ‌they‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌flee?‌ ‌
They‌ ‌have‌ ‌the‌ ‌knowledge‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌will,‌ ‌
But‌ ‌no‌ ‌empowerment‌ ‌to‌ ‌teach‌ ‌their‌ ‌skill.‌ ‌
 ‌
What‌ ‌holds‌ ‌them‌ ‌back‌ ‌from‌ ‌prosperity?‌ ‌
Corrupt‌ ‌politicians,‌ ‌unstable‌ ‌food‌ ‌chains,‌ ‌you,‌ ‌me?‌ ‌
Who‌ ‌is‌ ‌to‌ ‌blame‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌hunger‌ ‌epidemic‌ ‌
One‌ ‌which‌ ‌is‌ ‌exacerbated‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌current‌ ‌pandemic?‌ ‌
 ‌
Is‌ ‌it‌ ‌the‌ ‌aid‌ ‌organizations‌ ‌that‌ ‌keep‌ ‌people‌ ‌dependent?‌ ‌
Or‌ ‌the‌ ‌historical‌ ‌colonizers‌ ‌of‌ ‌which‌ ‌some‌ ‌are‌ ‌descendent?‌ ‌
Is‌ ‌it‌ ‌the‌ ‌political‌ ‌institutions‌ ‌that‌ ‌cannot‌ ‌seem‌ ‌to‌ ‌stabilize?‌ ‌
Or‌ ‌the‌ ‌countries‌ ‌that‌ ‌fund‌ ‌corruption‌ ‌under‌ ‌their‌ ‌aid‌ ‌disguise?‌ ‌
 ‌
The‌ ‌indigenous‌ ‌people‌ ‌will‌ ‌fight‌ ‌back‌ ‌and‌ ‌rise‌ ‌up‌ ‌and‌ ‌publicize‌ ‌
The‌ ‌injustices‌ ‌they‌ ‌face‌ ‌daily,‌ ‌which‌ ‌make‌ ‌us‌ ‌empathize‌ ‌ ‌
To‌ ‌their‌ ‌experiences,‌ ‌ones‌ ‌we‌ ‌cannot‌ ‌normalize.‌ ‌ ‌
The‌ ‌hunger‌ ‌and‌ ‌instability‌ ‌which‌ ‌will‌ ‌terrorize,‌ ‌
Until‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ ‌powers‌ ‌finally‌ ‌decide‌ ‌to‌ ‌decolonize.‌ ‌
 ‌
What‌ ‌we‌ ‌need‌ ‌now‌ ‌is‌ ‌to‌ ‌give‌ ‌back‌ ‌the‌ ‌power‌ ‌ ‌
To‌ ‌the‌ ‌indigenous‌ ‌folks‌ ‌with‌ ‌all‌ ‌the‌ ‌brainpowers.‌ ‌
The‌ ‌knowledge‌ ‌that‌ ‌is‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌hearts‌ ‌and‌ ‌souls,‌ ‌
Will‌ ‌help‌ ‌their‌ ‌communities‌ ‌to‌ ‌reach‌ ‌their‌ ‌nutrition‌ ‌goals.‌
Click on the file below to listen to Allison read her poem:
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Allison Rose is a University of California, Davis undergraduate majoring in International Agriculture Development and minoring in Environmental Policy and Planning. She has major interests in environmental justice and food equity. She hopes to be a part of the solution to environmental racism by working with agriculture and agricultural communities.
​

2 Comments
Allison
3/22/2021 01:52:10 pm

As I scroll through the website where my poem was published,
And I read the poems of artists who have grown up hungry,
Chills run down my back.
Their poems are so personal, so heartbreaking.

A promotion of my words,
I was proud to have my poem published.
But my thoughts came from a different place than theirs,
My feelings were second hand while theirs were their own.

They shared their own experiences with hunger,
While I simply condemn the system for perpetuating it.
My experience with food cannot be compared...
And it is disgusting to me that these disparities exist.

My poem is nothing next to theirs.
I have not felt the struggles they have,
I have never been hungry,
I have always had access to healthy foods.

That is not their reality.
They grew up hungry,
They grew up with limited access to fruits and vegetables,
They deserved the same access I had!

Our food chain is so broken....
It fails billions of people.
My heart goes out to all who have been hungry,
I will work my whole life to bring you justice and promote your voices.

Your voice matters and deserves to be heard.

Reply
jyo
3/31/2023 06:19:19 pm

Hello Allison,
I'm a highschooler doing a group project for my English general paper class, and we chose you as our poet for the assignment! I'd love to find out more about you but there's not much information online, could I ask for some facts or details about you and your life?

Reply



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  • Home
  • Art Auction to Alleviate Hunger
  • Hunger Poetry
    • Hunger Poems
    • World Food Day Poetry Competition >
      • 2021
      • 2020
      • 2019
      • 2018
    • Maryland Poets
    • International Poets
  • About
    • About the Initiative
    • Initiative Founder
    • Advisory Board
  • News & Blog
  • Young!
    • Poems by Young Poets
    • Videos
    • Materials for Teachers
  • Library
    • Extent of Hunger >
      • Global Hunger: Progress & Challenges
      • Hunger in the US
    • Historic Accounts of Hunger >
      • Africa
      • The Americas
      • Asia
      • Europe and Russia
    • Historical Poems
    • Interviews
    • Recent highlights
  • Contact/Submit/Take Action
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Call to Action
    • Resources & Donations >
      • Global resources
      • US resources
      • Maryland resources