Poem by Faris Ahmed

Fractured Food System Blues
(a blues in 5 voices)

1.
They call me a small farmer, but I’ve got a big list of to-do’s
Feed the world… cool the planet…
Try walking just one day in my shoes
Cause, I got the Fractured Food System Blues

2.
I’m Jamaican, but I’m kneeling down on your land
Never Canadian, but what you’re eating was picked by these hands
No rights, no shelter, no heat in winter,
And the worst kinds of abuse
I've got the Fractured Food System Blues

3.
I’m a community garden, right in your neighborhood
I can connect friends & families, young & old
Leafy greens, peppers, tomatoes, of all sizes, shapes and hues
To wash away your Fractured Food System Blues

4.
We’re Food Policy Councils, now how do you put that in a song
Peoples voices and ideas that make decision-making strong!
But inclusive governance mechanisms will never make the news
We’ve got the Fractured Food System Blues

​5.
Agroecology and food sovereignty
We’re more than just words, or theories, or novelty
We’re the roadmap, and the journey, so go ahead and take your cues
We’re Transformative Pathways, for your Fractured Food System Blues.

Click on the file below to listen to the poem:

​Faris Ahmed is a poet from Ontario, Canada.