it stared them in the face As if daring them to be rid of it it made a mockery of them every step of the way One garment day in and out in the midst of flashy Colors and spring like pastels It haunted them in the dark when power was out for lack of payment it taunted them as if daring them to do something about it and laughed in their faces when they sat motionless Unable to speak or refute its presence Unable to move or break from its crippling effect breaking them in pieces night after night when empty refrigerators stared them in the dark It called out to them in the night when stomachs rumbled and tiny tummies ached from hungry days and starved nights that had Lost count and begun to feel "normal" It made a mockery of them as a whole And individually from the man of the house To the babe innocent and unfortunate It stared them in the face day and night As if daring them to be rid of it And when finally it had conquered in the physical it crept slowly like a disease into their minds and captured their thinking and illuminating thought process That perhaps one day one of them could stare back at it And once and for all be rid of it It stared at them in the face Even in death it didn't relent But glared coldly not giving a damn Published in Black Fox Literary Magazine -www.blackfoxlitmag.com
Feb4
nicely done Boomie!
Thank you sir
when you write from your heart, it is very powerful
I agree…i am confronting some pains head on in the next few days….that way i wouldn’t deal with them later in the year. This week will be tough….but i am getting it out this time that holding it all in…
I am glad you are confronting them. Holding in is not always wise.
True
let me know if I can assist, I do anything for cookies! 🙂
Big smiles, thanks so much. You have done me a great help by making me smile.
I believe in you.
I needed to hear that sir, thanks so much. Big smiles
Whoo sis, I can’t “like” this one–it is too raw, too real. Love it.
Thanks so much sis 🙂
This poem makes me think of poverty also being a state of mind.
I agree to a large extent. However looking at this from my experience…i think it was the stark reality…there was simply no food…and boy were we hungry lol….
Thanks so much for reading
Oh I realize that probably sounded insensitive — I should have rephrased that — I’m sorry BB! I’m so self-centered these days with fear of financial insecurity it blinded me to the message of this poem. Forgive me for being a dolt-head.
Oh aunt Sandee you are so not… And I know & understand where you were coming from. I didn’t mean to make it sound like that.
You are so not selfish. You are one of the people I admire for not being caught up in the silly materialism of our modern world.
I’m wordless, Boomie, and that is a good thing.
♡eM
Thank you so much. I really appreciate the retweet
Well done Boomie. Very honest and touching.
Great work
Thank you so much Parul, very nice of you to say
Boomie, Excellent poetry.
Thank you so much
I have taken the liberty of sharing it on twitter. Hope you don’t mind.
Kudos for the amazing work!
Oh I am most honored. Thank you so much
I thought of the old show “Good Times” when I read this.
Thank you
Oh so sad. And – to think this is a harsh reality for many on this earth. 😦
That’s the most painful part I think. Thanks a Mille for the retweet
It’s disclosure perfectly Boomie…., true and honest.
Hugs and love,
mei
Thanks my friend
Thanks my friend
Boomie,
Amazing, raw, real and heartfelt. Thank you.
Cathy
Thank you
Congratulations on being published! I read your poem without reading the title and it was amazing how you captured “poverty” so succinctly. xx
Thanks so much
Bunmi, aburo mi dara, omo we, ako we, how so powerfully you have captured the multi-dimensionality of poverty, and with such compassion! I will reblog this kia kia!
Thank you so much. Glad you approve and a dupe for the reblog :). God bless
Reblogged this on visionvoiceandviews and commented:
The multi-dimensionality of poverty.
This flows nicely, I’m not surprised it was published, a solid piece of work, congratulations.
Thank you sir
Very very well written… 🙂
Thanks
You describe the stanglehold of poverty perfectly Boomie.A losing battle most times, however much one tries to help 😦
A losing battle indeed it is…thanks so much
WHew! been done there done that…sad memorie. But Congrats for being published :):):) very poignant and such a reality past and present.
Thanks so much. They published it last summer
Once again you have written about something I don’t like, but I like how you have written about it. Congrats on being published. Your best is yet to come!
Amen, thanks so much
Powerful words, Boomie. very hauting and unfortunate. Congratulations Boomie for being published. I am so happy for you my dear sister. 🙂
Thank you so much. It was published last summer. I saw the opportunity via Roxie’s blog and thought to submit a poem or 2 :). They liked this one but not the others lol
EXCELLENT, Boomie!
Russ
Thank you sir
Such a strong poem, vivid in its desperation – great work.
Thank you so much for saying
Way to bleed the words, dear Boomie.
Thank you Luke always
This is raw, real, and you face it head-on Boomie. Your poetry is so powerful.
Thank you so much
gritty poignant and insightful… and published!!!
Smiles, thanks so much
My heart is saddened, you draw a very vivid picture with these words..
Thank you so much Candy. I appreciate you reading and taking time to comment.