Death approaches.
Cruelly, from behind.
Weeping, knees bent
& nearly broken
by a lack of sustenance
& a dearth of survival,
you know
he waits, not patiently.
Abject horror
in the eyes
of a starving child,
knowing
she will soon be gone.
But not soon enough.
Death will take her savagely
before her time
& rip her life away,
talons sharp with disdain.
This world cannot continue
spinning
with graven images such as this
burned into the sated souls
that see this happening,
yet, do nothing to stop it.
Sacrificial lambs bleating
in fear
will echo
in eternity's killing fields.
~ January 5, 2006
2:05 a.m.
Author notes
Warning: extremely graphic & disturbing image.
Description: This photograph showing a starving Sudanese child
being stalked by a vulture won Kevin Carter the 1994 Pulitzer Prize
for feature photography. Not long after the photo was taken,
Kevin Carter committed suicide.
www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/odds_and_oddities/ultimate_in_unfair.htm
This one broke my heart...God help us all.
I have two other poems, dealing with this same issue...please read...
"Preamble into Perdition's Gate"
www.allpoetry.com/Poem/1739582
"Sending Light"
www.allpoetry.com/poem/1737375
To help alleviate this suffering...
www.info@seedsoflight.org
"The day will come when after harnessing the wind and the tides,
we shall harness for God the power of love. And on that day for the
second time in the history of the world, Man will have discovered fire."
~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
options:
1- a heart break, one that will make me cry, i want to relate to it.
4-how America is so spoiled.
5-patriotism/appreciation for those fighting for your life
8-regret
Written January 5th, 2006
In a list
- Deep, Dark & Depressing as Hell • next in list
- Stories • next in list
- Sorrow • next in list
- Older Poems (under construction) • next in list
- Dedications (under construction) • next in list
- Saying Goodbye • next in list
What did you think
Comments
1 - 28 of 28
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It is our children lost that makes us poor,
as we strive so hard from imagined freedom
to lock our hearts in propaganda's pillage
only to find our soul rejected.
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That's why I didn't post the picture. This was written for a contest last year; many people did post the picture. I decided to give people a choice to look or not. It's not something you can easily forget, or pretend you didn't see.
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Thank you, Haley. No, you don't want to see it. Trust me. It broke my heart when I did. I just turned 48 last week. I've seen a lot in that time, but this one shocked me. Thanks for hosting. Be well, Poet.
Wanda
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nice! good write. i would look at the picture but i dont know if i want to...
-hayley
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They did it beacuse they had to, so the rest of us could see the horror ~ & stop it. That didn't mean they were soulless; quite the contrary. Many suffered horrifying nightmares & more than a few destroyed themselves...with drugs, alcohol or more direct means. Most of us don't have a friggin' clue about living in the real world; we live in our little boxes, content to waste away in delusion.
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This strikes me, especially in light of the author's comments about the photographer. I remember growing up during the Vietnam War and seeing the photos in Life magazine, wondering how the photographers could stand by and take pictures as people burned.
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I've always said that if everyone would just change the corner they lived in, the whole World would then change...Thank you, my Friend... Wanda
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yes I have seen that picture before, and think it is both sick and so sad. For little children to have to bare those conditions is depressing. If we could all just pitch in. maybe then we could make a difference. Very real.
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As Nicolette so rightly said, your words are a balm. This is one of the very best pieces I have had the good fortune to read. Your dark take on it, absolutely chilled me to the bone and shocked me and I see this far more often than most here. It is something you never get used too. Yet, the outpouring of love I found in the pages of this contest, has shown me that there si hope for those who face this. This is an absolutely stunning piece, my friend. May you be blessed.
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powerful, and left me speechless. All I can say is never stop writing. your poetry is fantastic, and this is even better than that. Its very graphic, but very moving, yet sad.
*speechless*
best of lcuk in the contest -
Wow....the power of your words.
It is such a shame that in our world so many are so blessed with so much, but refuse to share, and so many, then, are left in the situation that this poem describes so eloquently.
I know I'm not one to talk haha...there is a lot of sharing that I could do but don't.... but things like this really do wake a person up.
Thank you again.
Love and light,
Jenna -
Yes...God help us all when in this world, this land of plenty a child has to suffer like that... Heart-wrenching poetry that reflects the a child's trauma, his worst nightmare..to be abandoned to vultures. But also pictures and poetry that unfortunately also reflects this world's apathy... I live in Africa, I have seen so much suffering and at times one feel that you are up against too much, but every little bit helps - even for just one child. Powerful poetry that moves and shakes the branches of the heart, dear Vlindertjie...what else can one say...words will never be enough...
~ Nicolette
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In the (wild) animal world, this would not be so tragic, in fact it would be expected or life would cease to be. However, in the human(e) world this is a sad state for the planet to be in. With all the technological advances, the waste that goes on and the political barriers it truly is a battle. Nicely penned, sadly true.
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Neither are mine...
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My words are not enough.
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My, my, my Lady Peach, now you are on your soap box; I'm applauding. You have something to say, and you say it well. Thank you.
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Intriguing poetry. very visual.
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Wow! Another amazing write. Dark, I like dark. The structure of it also helps set the tone too. I'm SSOOO jealous of you and your writing skill. Lovely work.
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For you and what is in your heart, my eternal applause...
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Powerful...poignant, and profoundly intense with both images and emotion. My goodness, girl, that picture had me in tears...as does this heartwrenching poem. So eloquent for such stark truth and sadness, my friend. Only you could cut into our hearts with such deft abilities. WOW, I am takem aback by this one, indeed. Masterfully crafted to be sure! Love ya, Wander Woman! BRAVA!!
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I could not bear to look at the picture again and used another. Your lyrical, and literal approach to this piece nearly broke me. It peals like a brilliant bell as a call to arms, outstreached and open.
Sad and lovely,
PEACE -
Wanda, that picture and this poem are chilling reminders of life's cruel realities ... it brings into focus the real nature of sorrow and pain and makes me feel ashamed to even cry over my own. Thank you for reminding me of how deep life really is ... and how even in the ugly reminders of suffering and death, we can still feel the pulse of empathy and love Beautiful write,dear Lady
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Excellent
This is a wonderful writer, it grips you from start to end, very powerful, very well constructed and written, it suited your usual writting style very well. Above all, the words you have used have created a very good picture of the childs pain and the neglect of the world to this peoples lack and helplessness, The flow was superb. It is very sad indeed to see that one part of the world has more than enough while the other part is empty in abject sorrow and stricken by hunger and diseases by their lack, How so, the very situation they are in was caused by the very rich westerners themselves as a result of their selfishness and greed and lack of empathy for the mass. Consumming half the worlds natural resources solely for themselves and leaving each country to pick up the crumbs the live behind and in day light the put cloths of decietful sympathy acting as if they want to help never actually wanting to. -
I shall enter, Wanda...I agree, why is this happening ? In this day and time...we have the technology to create a trillion dollar business in movies and video games, enough to feed millions of starving children....makes one wonder you have captured the essence of it all in this piece...a winner for sure
Edited on Jan 05, 12:57 because 'spelling'. -
crystaldust 05-01-06 11:45
Thank you for drawing my attention to this contest, Wanda. I might have missed your poem too. Very graphic, full of compassion, I keep hoping that more and more of us are doing what we can - even if it is through using our writing skill and nothing more - but sometimes the hope burns very low indeed. Despite the subject, this poem has a beauty about it, the kind you bring to everything you write. Have you rerad masterblaster's by the way? No punches pulled and brilliant. Joy
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Thank you for posting it. I can say the same about you, as well, my Friend.
I appreciate you immensely, Scribe. Wanda
Edited on Jan 05, 2:41 because ''.
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