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Shamziel — Poverty
Published: 2009-04-14 05:48:16 +0000 UTC; Views: 1757; Favourites: 34; Downloads: 8
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Description
It is Sunday, and a girl is dying.You must have seen her, with cracked hands
And cheeks as hollow as her eyes, staring defiantly
At every person that passes her without a glance.
She thinks they must be able to smell it on her:
The bitter tang of metals and grit in her water
And the faint but penetrating scent of sickness.
She sells candies and paper flowers from a cart,
And stands up straight with her dress hanging
Like a sack, though it was a lovely yellow once.
Every so often as she passes her wares to a buyer,
She thinks that the petals and colorful wrappers
Look like wishes should; but she cannot have them.
She must always return to the same cramped room
And dream fitfully of fresh food, health, and comfort
While life pales from her face, like the waxing moon.
One cannot live on bread alone,
But that would be a start.
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Comments: 62
Nice, any pieces from the novel/movie Scrooge?
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This is a powerful poem! I like the message and included in it Social Commentary [link] ... let me know if you're interested in becoming a member.
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I'm glad I could impress the idea on you so strongly.
Please come back sometime! I write lots more.
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i would love to see what else you have done...
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Please take a look! I write prose as well as poetry.
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i'll add you to my deviant watch...would you mind...?
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Of course not! Welcome to the family.
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Sometimes, it's the little things that matter, like giving a smile to one of these little girls on the streets! I like how your poem sums that up- a little adds up to a lot.
I was in Shanghai before and I walked through the slum-ish area. It wasn't the condition there that startled me, but the fact that there were high rise condominiums just next to them. --->[link] a picture I took from my trip there (that's my old account).
Good job on showing us more of the world
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Oh, thank you for sharing this with me. 
Please check back here sometime! I write both prose and poems fairly frequently, and I love having more people to share with.
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You're already under my watch!
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It's ok! I write stuff too, so... =3 I really want to expand my audience! Though I write no where as regularly or as good as you do!
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Don't be foolish. I've read some of your things and you are very skilled. I was actually quite surprised, because I can't rattle off a story as long as the one I found in your gallery yet.
If you really feel that you need to write better, learn to let go of your restrictions. Learn to appeal as directly as possible to what you are feeling, and what you want to express. I think that restraint can be a terrible thing sometimes.
Please continue to write. I hope we can continue to give each other feedback.
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A beautiful yet tragic incentive to write such a heart felt piece. Well done!
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Beautiful and very insightful. It reminds alot of the street children here in my country. Poverty has been a big issue ever since 
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And thank you for reading.
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I cant live without apples, or juices -without them I would dry as dried flower (or maybe not flower 
Yes, one cant live only from bread - its shame
(sorry, bad english probably)
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as i read this the story of the matchstick girl struck a cord in my mind... it broght forth the same feeling and elements into my mind and made my heart heavy...
kinda messed up but true unfortunately...
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*nods* I felt the need to write this. It was gnawing at me.
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Yes, that always used to make me cry! Awareness of the poor was very high in England at the time that was written; it was the focus of a great deal of Dickens' writing.
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Loved that story, excellent evocative poem.
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I'm glad you liked it. And I'm glad you commented!
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seeing that here all the time...makes you want to try and help, but somehow, helping doesn't make much of a difference when no one wants to help...
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Of course someone wants to help. You do.
Look for non-profit charities online. If enough people get interested in this poem, I'll hunt some down myself and provide links.
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Wow, impressive.. It makes one so sad to be in the presence of poor people and cant do a thing... And about the sterilisation part, i beg to differ... I believe that life should not be taken away on the basis of poverty... The children, they may have a bad life in the beginning but who knows, maybe they'll be successful and when they are, they'll be prompted to help other poor people... That's just what i think XD Sorry for the long comment XD
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I don't support forced sterilization, but it's difficult to make a case against people who are willing to go through that sort of thing. Success is dependent on a lot more than individual merit, otherwise we would likely not have such a huge number of impoverished people in the world today...
We need a lot of help and a lot of effort to change poverty, and those of us who are willing need to do everything we can. I still struggle with that responsibility.
There is always something you can do. You just need to look.
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Yes, i agree completely... some people, even when they have the much needed help, just fail to make the best of the oppurtinity... That is what makes me so disappointed at times...
I don't know, but to me, i just can't help someone when there's another person who is suffering the same fate and is left alone.. I feel somewhat guilty..
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Just do what you can, a little bit at a time. It may not be exactly fair at first, but equal opportunities come with long-term change.
Hang in there. I know what you're going through. Just do your best and give what you can.
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Yeah you too.. All the best in what's to come
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This is beautiful, and heart-breaking.
Thank you.
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Absolutely no problem whatsoever.
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Lovely poem -- very touching and insightful!
But I'd have to disagree with the sterilisation proposal. Not everyone who is born poor remains poor, and not everyone who is poor can't afford to feed their children. And determining the cut-off threshold for the poverty required for this would never be fair. If that proposal was applied in my country, 70% of us would be sterilised. Maybe more, nowadays.
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I didn't say that I thought it was right, and I apologise if you got that impression. I'm just saying that it's a very unfortunate and desperate position to be in.
Thank you for your praise.
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Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you supported it, either 
You're welcome
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Please check back sometime, I write poetry and prose fairly frequently.
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Oh, right! *facepalm* I should keep track of my watchers more.
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