Food For Thought

I wrote this at the creative writing workshop in Northampton, didn't have the guts to read it out but here it is incase you want to see how poetically stunted I am.

I want you to think of all the food you ate today,
Breakfast Lunch and Dinner & how much thinner,
You'd be if that's all the food you'd see in a week,
Because I just think it's bleak,
Seeing babies like ours out there sick & crying,
Sick & dying,
Whilst i'm sick & tired of seeing another good meal thrown away.
But we just waste anyway,
Whilst they waste away,
& as long as we're ok we'll just carry on with our day & maybe pray,
to God,
that they hold on long enough, to get strong enough,
to work thier farms, to fill thier tables, to fill thier bellies.
If there was half as much good in this world as there is greed,
I really think it'd be us sowing the seed,
of change & I know, it'll take a while to grow,
but when it does it'll be more mindblowingly breathtaking than any sunrise or sunset bestowed upon this earth,
and for what it's worth,
they're just incredible in India.

Sometimes.

Superiority complex

Without naming names, I've just read a very unpleasant blog post concerning the people we were honoured with meeting in India. It makes me very sad that someone in our position, with our wealth, education and understanding of poverty should be so close minded and condescending in thier description of the slums, and the families within.

True, these people are poor, well below the poverty line, and lacking in much of the basic education, healthcare and facilities that westerners take for granted. But this does not give us any reason whatsoever to look down on them as simple, dirty people. And that's me avoiding quoting the blog in question, as it made me too angry to repeat. These people are rich in hope, and determination to better thier lives. They are proud of thier work, thier families. They want to be talked to, to tell you thier name and learn yours. I admire them, for thier strength in the face of the poverty they endure - I would never dream of looking down on them.

And you. You with your superiority complex. You'd do well to do the same.