*
Image Credit: MColdPlay’s ‘Hungry Child’ @ Deviantart
© MColdPlay’s ‘Hungry Child’ @ Deviantart
*
I call my boss and tell him,
I won’t be in until late.
Over a crisp morning coffee I work out logistics.
I plot the distance between school and home.. 500 yards..
I aim for taking cover.
While setting up my equipment at hand’s reach,
I caution my boys about what to expect.
With a quick check in the rear view mirror,
I drive them there, and off they are.
They run through the playground in a hurry
And wreak havoc in the class.
Their shoes muddy and jackets bone dry.
My little ones are cozy indoors.
And I cheated the Rain Gods,
Mission accomplished!
I roll down my window and cup my hand.
I catch the rain.
And make a Wishing Well.
Will I be able to rest today?
There is anxiety in my heart.
And twists in the stomach, don’t seem to go away.
On my way, I saw an old man eating his own human waste for food.
*
This holiday season, pick up the phone, write a letter, buy a can of food.
Touch someone with your love and tell them you care.
A friend once asked me,
“You don’t just deal with the small issues of life, do you?”
Yes, I do, every minute, every day! Some days, it is just making sure the kids get to school without getting wet in the rain.
* * *
About The Article Author:
Our mission with FutureSTRONG Academy – to grow children who respect themselves, their time and their capabilities in a world where distractions are just a click or a swipe away.
I see myself as an advocate for bringing social, emotional and character development to families, schools and communities. I never want to let this idea out of my sight – Our children are not just GPAs. I’m a Writer and a Certified Master Coach in NLP and CBT. Until 2017, I was also a Big Data Scientist. In December of 2044, I hope to win the Nobel. Namasté.
Write to me or call me. Tell me what support from me looks like.
Rachana Nadella-Somayajula,
Program Director & Essential Life Skills Coach for Kids and Busy Parents
Poetry
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When Home Is Still Here And We Aren’t
* Unlike refugees, who don't have a home behind or infront of them, we have a home. But, Will it remember all those mornings that the woodpecker made mating calls from its roof?How on sleepless nights, someone read and made notes from a borrowed J....
ప్రియ శరణార్థీ! నా జీవితం ఇలా నడవనీ.. (Dear Refugee, My Life Must Go On..)
* * * The original English version: Dear Refugee, my life must go on.. This poem appeared originally in The Saaranga Magazine HERE. * నన్నల్లుకున్న వెచ్చని కార్డిగన్, మెత్తని నా అరచేతుల మధ్య పొగలు కక్కే ‘లికరస్’ టీ........... పౌర హక్కుల్ని...
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* If a person has any greatness inside, it comes to light, not in one flamboyant hour, but in the ledger of one’s daily work.~ Beryl Markham * Years ago, you had looked up to see if anyone loved what you wrote.You tried to look in their eyes to...
Dear Refugee, My Life Must Go On..
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* It's not the lack of money that makes me cry like my heart is about to burst.You want to know what it is? It's something you have or don't more than I do, because there's no straight finish line here.It ticks away silently mocking our indignant ways...
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* I don't know what moves him.I remember the day he came back home tohide his red eyes behind that newspaperafter he lit his mother's pyre.This is the man, the brunt of all my emotions,whose lifetime fits in this poem. It's mostly the appalling nature of...
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* Ok, I admit; I still have that shameful longingness.When you gathered everything else up and left me to myself, And, when the war of words ended, It was clear that the love between us had begun to show cracks.It would never happen to me, was the conviction I...
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Questions, just ask!
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Hi Rachana!
I think it’s great that you tackle those topics that a lot of people tend to ignore in industrial countries.
We live in a kind of bubble that is cosy and warm, and if we see something unpleasant we just turn around.
If only a tiny thing in this bubble is not right we think it’s the end of our bubble world, when in fact an awful lot of people live outside fighting for their very existence every day.
When there is a catastrophe somewhere, people donate a lot of money – however, what they don’t see is that there is such a tragedy to be found every day – it’s just not on the news…
True Timo, that is why I have stopped crying.. I feel I insult people who struggle for real existence when I cry about ‘silly’ things! I was listening to a story on Public Radio about catastrophe response and why the response to a great calamity like Pakistan Floods was so poor.. Part of it was because there was no enough video or media coverage on the issue because those places were so land locked and out of reach for them to show the world the extent of the devastation.. And because it is not on the news for a long time, we conveniently ‘forgot’ about it.. :(
wow,
you are so dear.
brilliant play, you played the game perfectly,
relax today, you deserve it..
Thanks for linking…
Happy Wednesday.
xxx
Thank you Jingle, you inspired me to write today! I did not feel it was appropriate to carry on with my day and celebrate (my birthday) without getting this off my chest! My head hurt until you actually encouraged me to write, thanks for that :) Have a great week dear!!
Do I have my glasses on backwards? I see nothing tiny about this. Nor about you, my respected friend. This is too huge to ignore. If anyone in my world has the stomach to ignore our fellow man, they do not digest unity.
What I do, I do to Love.
You
Thank you Amy, much love to you too..!! I was talking about my petty ways in wondering how to dodge rain pour on the kids and all that time I spend to strategically analyzing such situations.. When there are more important and urgent things at hand.. !! :) And that quote, “You don’t just deal with the small issues of life, do you?!” was from you to me in a previous post :)
Thanks!
Rachana.
Touching..
Thanks FiveLoaf for visiting, much appreciated!
Rachana.
Very sweet… cheating the rain and then enjoying it in the cup of your hand.. Like it so much…
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com
Thanks for dropping by Shashi, I am grateful that you found your way here and enjoyed the spirit of the poem. Have a great day! And thanks for pointing me to your link!!
Rachana.
What a wonderful thing you are doing bringing these things to our attention. Bravo!
still so much to do in this world.
David, thanks so much for visiting.. I have read some poetry of yours and liked it absolutely!! Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, appreciate that.
Yes, there is too much to do in the world, and too little time.. :) Thanks!!
great topical poetry. nice job!
Christopher, thanks for your comments, your visit means a lot, so thanks for your time too! I am glad that you enjoyed the poetry. And, Congratulations on your first novel!! :)
Versatile as a term doesn’t do justice to what you’re doing on this blog! I thoroughly enjoyed this poem — even if the subject always makes me depressed :-(
Thanks Kima! See, you have one vision and one goal – Children’s education in an ever changing society – and can channelize all your energies into it! But what you call versatile is actually a troubling aspect for me.. I wish I had a fixed agenda too, looking at so many things, I am squinting sometimes and losing focus, I feel.. Thanks always for the different perspectives, the more we talk, the more I learn.. !
Another important topic. Beautifully written poem, Rachana. Excellent post. Probably the most import issue for us to address. If you think about it, to permanently resolve world wide hunger issues, we have to resolve so many other issues along the way. This is the one thing to fight for if we’re going to pick only one thing:
For the Bread for the World, Hunger 2010 Report – A Just and Sustainable Recover link here:
http://www.hungerreport.org/2010/
Thanks for your dear and wonderful poem and post.
Poem on, our sweet Rachana.
That is a wonderful suggestion Jamie, actually not one but two from you! I updated the link to point to Hungerreport.org, it is definitely more appropriate! Thanks, and yes, hunger is the biggest problem.. I feel like the world speaks in metaphors when it is addressing the hunger issue.. The statistics of death and shortage are depressing.. sometimes I have great trouble consuming food when I think of starving kids..
Thanks for your visit!!
Hi Rachana,
Long long time ago ( between 1982-1985 ), i had the opportunity to go on a study cruise as a marine engineering cadet student aboard a training ship called The Golden Bear. Every year, from October to December we had to do practical training on board the ship. We stopped at many parts of the world, mostly beautiful and expensive resorts and ports. I always took the opportunity to visit inland areas to see the people and how they lived. I never saw anything like the picture you showed but there were many sad things that i noticed regarding hunger. So i think this is not something new, maybe it is new to the people who never knew about it.
This year i attended a seminar about food. One of the speakers talked about a topic ” Eating 3 times a day “. According to him, now there are millions more people in the world who can afford to eat 3 times a day. Something which these people or the places/countries where they came from, never could imagine before.
Because of this scenario, food is scarce. Some farmers from food producing countries should benefit from this as they can sell at higher price. But there are negative side of it. Even though their agriculture products are more expensive, the cost of fertilizer goes up too. The farmers then reduce the fertilizer usage to save cost. This in turns causes the yield to drop. Yes the price of the crops goes up but the amount of the crops produced goes down. Then it is back to square one.
According to the speaker, the farmers who would be making a lot of benefits are the ones who can afford to produce the crops at higher yield using higher technology method. I used to visit that place before :-)
I know many other factors that contribute to food shortage such as the weather, etc . But i believe people especially me, needs to be reminded at all time about important things. Thanks for reminding me ! We also need food of thought :-)
Fonz, I think there is a difference in how you approached the subject and I think that is very cool! You spoke from a scientific/strategic perspective and so it is not as depressing as my poem sounds.. Which feels good, thanks for that :)
The findings in the seminar sound encouraging too.. The vicious cycle that you are talking about is very true even in India, you would know with its farm lard and where it stands with Agriculture as one of the largest sources of wealth and jobs in the country.. But still there are so many people who go without one or two meals a day..
On a lighter note, I would be thrilled to death, if I got a chance to travel in The Golden Bear, Gosh that idea sounds so exciting.. Imagine world travel on a cruise and you were a student.. Ha ha..
Thanks for your visit friend, from half way across the globe! A pleasure.
I love the comparison of the cupping of a hand to a wishing well. I think the next time it rains and every time, thereafter, I will remember this image and the drawing. Yesterday, I noticed the Salvation Army ringing their bells early and was reminded of having read this….. There are ways we can help one small gift at a time. That is powerful writing when you can imprint an image that can be brought forward in someone’s mind over and over.
Leslie, thank you for your lovely comments.. And most importantly for the comprehension.. Yes, I was trying to bring rain, worries, tears, the hungry child’s arms and the wishing well palm of my hand – together.. Our priorities, our yearnings, our worries are all so relative and so different, that is what made me write this..
And yes, good can be accumulated like tiny raindrops one at a time, it is never too late or too little to give, thank you for your well thought of message, appreciate that!
Rachana.
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this post. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to start my own BlogEngine blog now.
Thank you!
My response to Jamie Dedes’ track-backs at her awesome websites:
http://musingbymoonlight.com/ and http://brooklynmemoriesmostgreen.wordpress.com/:
Thanks for the space and the honor Jamie! :) I am grateful for your track-back, thanks soooooooooo much, it means a lot! Have a great Saturday and rest up!!
See you soon ;)
Rachana, I believe that one of the “missions” of a poet is to call attention to issues that need to be brought to the forefront of our awareness. You do that so powerfully here. I’ve just learned today that a friend of mine has no money for food. Even here in my country that can happen. How much more so in other parts of the world. Sadly, it’s easy to forget when you’re well-fed and comfortable. We need to be shaken up a bit now and again,as I have been…twice. Thank you.
Thanks for the visit Victoria! And thanks for reinforcing what a lot of my other favorite writers have been saying.. That as writers, our mission is to get the word out and spread awareness.. I had a sense of purpose when I started writing, but now the idea is slowly getting cemented. Appreciate your feedback on the poem, it is tough to get a reality check sometimes, when you realize what you feel and write is no longer just a hypothetical scenario playing out somewhere in a small part of the world. I wish your friend has food to feed her family this holiday season.. If words could feed, I would write forever..
Thank you.
Rachana.
Thanks for tackling a tough subject and inspiring us.
Thanks so much SD for reading, it means a lot! It is a small effort and if you are inspired, it is a great feeling!! Thanks for letting me know.
Rachana.
I love that you always seem to be thinking of others, and you write about hard issues in such a gentle, poetic manner. *bravo* once again
Thank you, Lisa, if it pulled at your heart strings, it comes as no surprise.. Appreciate you visiting and your time! Remember again, the feeling is mutual, honey.
That was really touching, your gift with words for a good cause! Wonderful post!
Blaga, thanks for the support. And thanks for visiting. It means a lot that you are in it with solidarity.
Hope you are having a great weekend!
Your website is great! This post really caught my eye when I was searching around. Thanks for sharing it.
Really?! This one is personal, no spam here please!
Thanks!
The Blog Trollers’ Feedback Society™
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Thanks for the kind words, a well meaning troll, so had to redact your link about writing great resumes.
The Blog Trollers’ Feedback Society™
It was a very good read…
nicely written :)
Sumit Sarkar
http://myriad-sumit.blogspot.com/
Thank you Sumit, appreciate your time and feedback.. It is so nice to see you come and visit again! Thanks for that!
Love the poem!
Hi Honey, Thanks for visiting!! I am glad you enjoyed the poem, I know you have read it to be on board with the idea, appreciate it! Hope everything and everyone Pretoria are treating you well ;)
Rachana
Oh… the twists and turns in the poem are simply awesome! But the message towards the end was really glaring in the face, and all too powerful!!
Time to stop wasting, and start sharing instead!
Amen to your noble thought, my friend…
Kavita! Thanks for stopping by :) Hope your new year is off to a great start.. Let me tell you something, this is the best thing that has happened to me the entire day today!! Your comment, made my day, even when work, the Arctic freeze that has trapped our family READ INCLUDING the kids because of school closures – for 5 days in a row, chores round the clock would have led me into a depression SAVE for your visit! Only time I smile is when I read this :)
Thank you for your feedback, I am glad you get the idea, of course you will!! You know the power of wordplay.. only better!
See you around friend,
Rachana.
I consider something genuinely interesting about your site so I bookmarked.
Thanks!
Reblogged this on Heart™ and commented:
I am reblogging a poem about global childhood hunger for the Human Rights Observance Day.