poetry speaks to hunger

By Hiram Larew, Ph.D
Founder of the Poetry X Hunger Initiative
 
There’s no better way to start this blog than by presenting a hunger-focused poem.  Here’s one by Aressa Williams of Upper Marlboro, MD. She wrote and entered it in the 2018 World Food Day Poetry Competition --
 
 
Zero World Hunger:  Imagine
by Aressa Williams
 
Remember the story, “Stone Soup”?
Neighbors shared food that they had.
Carrots, cabbage, beans, peppers,
Enough soup for all prepared.
 
Plant thoughts for food abundance.
Imagine zero world hunger.
Wholesome meals grace all tables
One mind, same goal, we’re stronger.
 
Spirit-cousins band as one;
Repast so others eat and live.
Fruits, veggies cross distant seas.
Our grateful hands freely give.
 
Zero world hunger’s possible.
We are the “Stone Soup” tale.
Bring bread to the world’s table.
Global unity never fails.
 
Poems about hunger, such as Ms. Williams’ beautifully hopeful one, speak to us in ways that statistics, scientific studies or trend lines can’t.  Research studies and policy briefs about food insecurity are incredibly important in our fight against hunger, but they just can’t grab the heart or imagination in the same way that a poet’s carefully written lines can. 
 
Making sure that the power of poetry is focused on the cause of hunger reduction is the intent of Poetry X Hunger, an informal initiative that I launched about a year ago.  Poetry X Hunger is all about showcasing poetry that may cause public attitudes and commitments to change and move decision-makers to respond in our work to reduce and even eliminate hunger.  Read on if you are interested in learning more…
 
After years of progress in reducing the prevalence of hunger worldwide, experts are alarmed by a backslide.  According to the USDA, the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization and others, hunger in the U.S. and around the world is on the rise.  About 15 % of American households are food insecure, and about one billion people worldwide are hungry.  And, looking ahead to anticipated surges in population, the world’s demand for food is only expected to rise sharply.  Hunger haunts today and, it seems, looms large in our future. 
And yet, there is hope.  Given the scientific, economic and political tools that can be used to alleviate hunger, groups such as Bread for the World believe that worldwide hunger is preventable and can be eliminated.  It will take deep moral, political and financial commitments as well as all the scientific know-how we can muster.   
And, it will also take the arts such as poetry.
Over the years, poetry has been used very effectively to raise awareness and concern about many other social issues like homelessness, conflict, social inequity, and racial bias.   For example, The New Colossus, a poem written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus, roused the American public’s pride in offering sanctuary to the “huddled masses” of immigrants.  And, Julia Howard Ward’s poem/lyric, Battle Hymn of the Republic, of 1862 is credited with raising patriotic spirits at the outset of our American Civil War. 
Poetry, however, hasn’t been as potently used in our fight against hunger in the U.S. or around the world.   In fact, not many poems have been published about hunger of the stomach.  (There are many, many poems about hunger of the heart and spirit.)  That’s why I started an informal initiative called Poetry X Hunger – to enlist the help of poets worldwide in writing poems that could be used as calls to action, as heart stoppers, as meditative re-enforcers in our collective fight against hunger. 
Poets are rising to the cause.  Here’s one written by Ladi Di Beverly of District Heights, MD.  It’s a call to action in our work to reduce food waste as part of the fight against hunger.  Notice how Ladi Di invokes a wide range of elements – determination, faith, the work of NGOs  – in this powerful piece.  Read it aloud for its full impact.

Pitch In
by Ladi Di Beverly
People are hungry, yet people continue to
waste food.
Her meals were from partially eaten
sandwiches thrown in public trash
cans.
She watched a child throw away a sandwich
one bite out of it.
Getting sandwich from can immediately
would be her evening meal.

People are hungry, yet people continue to
waste food.
An apple, a pear, a peach, some cherries
Some grapes to help provide nutrition
To help curb appetite
Praying to God above, never to give up
Ferocious fight.

People are hungry, yet people continue to
waste food.
A project for many years, helping my Mother
Make sandwiches in our kitchen
with Family and Friends
Taking sandwiches to organizations, like
S.O.M.E, So Others Might Eat brings on
cheers, chants yea food is here.

People are hungry, yet people continue to
waste food.
Standing on Main Avenue in freezing cold
And snow, holding sign stating HELP ME
FEED MY CHILDREN, IF ONLY FOR ONE
NIGHT!!!

People are hungry, yet people continue to
waste food.
All across the world people die from hunger
 and malnutrition to ignore this plight would
 be a ridiculous selfish shame.

People are hungry, yet people continue to
waste food.
What can you do, what can I do, what can others do, to end this international plague?
The answer is blowing in the wind, doing
Something consistent, we can all PITCH IN.

People are hungry, yet people continue to
waste food.
 
Will poetry end hunger?  No.  Can it help in the hunger elimination cause?  Yes!  It’s yet one more powerful tool that we can use as banners, at meetings and gatherings, and in pitches to policymakers that will, I guarantee, open eyes, ears, and hearts.  In fact, if capturing attention is your aim, all you need to do is to enlist the help of young performance poets who, by nature, can rivet audiences with their energetic rap or spoken word poetry messages of concern and optimism.   
To find out more about poems by young poets and much more about the initiative, take a minute to visit the Poetry X Hunger website at PoetryXHunger.com where lots of info is posted including poems from previous centuries and by activist Zimbabwean poets.  The site also includes a wealth of info about hunger – facts, history, trends.  And, to encourage folks like you to write a hunger poem, the site also provides prompts that will help you get started 
You can also  check out Facebook at Poetry X Hunger where poems by several poets are showcased.   
And hey, feel free to send in a poem for possible posting!!
Lastly, I would like to thank Susan Karimiha and the AIARD social media team for this opportunity to describe Poetry X Hunger on AIARD’s blogsite.  And, I also want to acknowledge the Maryland State Arts Council’s support for development of the website as expertly designed by Dr. Tatiana LeGrand with input from Dr. Sue Schram and many others. 
I am also grateful to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s North American Liaison Office for supporting the 2018 and 2019 World Food Day Poetry Competitions as implemented by Poetry X Hunger.   Stay tuned for the announcement by FAO of the 2019 winners!
To close, here’s a fine poem by former Poet Laureate of Maryland, Dr. Michael Glaser.  He uses a storyline to enlist our collective shame in this punch-of-a-poem.

Passing By
by Michael Glaser
 
He held out a cup
and I reached
for some coins.
 
He scowled. 
 
“I thought you wanted some bread,”
I said, certain he was going to ask
for more than this easy lint from my pocket.
 
I looked into his eyes and suddenly
felt ashamed that I lacked the courage 
to offer something his heart could chew on,
 
something from the warm oven
of my comfortable life, something
he might inhale deeply like oxygen,
some genuine bread for the journey –
each slice an offering
to sweeten his life again.
 
All poems are used by permission of the authors and can be found on https://www.poetryxhunger.com/.