Where is your compassion…and if you claim to have it, when does it connect to your actions
You fooled me into believing I was born in a land overflowing with milk and honey,
A land of plenty,
your propaganda neglected to say that those who are impoverished or live in disadvantaged circumstances are not promised a place at the table,
how is it that so few can have so much while so many have so little,
must I crawl at your feet in hopes I may catch a crumb that escaped your plate,
then pray you don’t snatch it from my quivering clutch and calm I didn’t earn it,
When did having enough food to eat become a privilege?
a privilege denied to me because of my economic status,
do I not breathe as you do?
are my bodily needs not as urgent,
is the sound of my pulse too faint for you to care that my heart beats, proof that I am a living being in need,
where is your compassion…and if you claim to have it, when does it connect to your actions,
What are you waiting for?
must all of the produce in our grocery store be color coded by pesticides before you decide to act,
Are your legs not tired yet? -because mine are burning from my weekly journey across this food desert; spending hours on bus and foot simply so I can cook dinner for the many mouths who depend on me….
We all may not be starving….But we always seem to be hungry….
Where is your compassion…and if you claim to have it, when does it connect to your actions….
I know many view me as the victim,
But I am whole,
I am powerful,
I was simply born with a brass spoon instead of one made of gold,
still, its function is the same, to scoop contents onto my plate as I make space for myself at the table,
I’m not asking for handouts,
I’m demanding what is rightfully mine,
My family and I are entitled to our health and that begins with the food we eat
I demand the right to choose!
I invite you to stand with me….
Whether I’m given a seat no longer matters….
I will stand,
Spine erect,
Raised voice,
Never shaken gaze,
Joined by my comrades; the fed up masses,
And our combined desire and drive will insure the demise of this unjust food system,
I am no longer asking for a place at your table…
We will build a new table, where every seat is stable…..
My actions are a direct result of my compassion…