"One who conquers others is strong; One who conquers oneself is mighty." I care not to conquer others, but to simply understand, and help if I may do so. Conquering myself is another story, this story; one that is sometimes not simply for me to understand.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Starving

If it is true what is said
That touch is as much
A necessary function of life,
As much a physical need,
As eating, food, and nutrition,
I am starving
Each morning I wake
Hearing my body speak.
My empty stomach roars;
My weak muscles moan;
My tried mind complains,
Begging me to feed
Before we all parish;
I am starving
I leave my solemn bed
And enter my quit kitchen
To find every stark cupboard,
The large dark pantry,
The cold humming ice box,
All completely bare.
My thin body cries aloud,
I am starving
I cover my meager body,
In baggy, worn clothes.
My hand searches my pockets
To find that nothing's there;
No paper of green,
No coins of sliver and gold,
But soon, I am told
My Employer will Pay
For my hard Work and Efforts,
But not today or next week, but someday.
My restless conscious begs
I am starving
I leave this barren home
Onto the chilling cold streets
And amble past the shops.
I smell the sweet pastries
That offer only a small taste
If I am willing to buy.
I see beautifully decorated deli delights
That feed my hungry eyes
But their price is far too much,
Demanding even, my very soul;
The over stocked and neatly supplied grocery shops
Stuffed with over indulgent people sampling and buying;
But the glass doors only open
To those who can afford.
I hear the crowded diners stuffed full
Of obese joyful customers in expensive clothes,
Who laugh will their mouths full of lavish meals
And drink fine wine and eat their cake;
As if mocking this poor ragged beggar.
I lower my head as my frail muscles scream
I am starving
Shall I steal or maybe beg
And try to cheat my fate
For just a small taste?
Shall I barrow, as before,
With my stomach never full,
My muscles still weak,
Having to repay ten fold
Any amount of console?
No, these prices are much too high
For such poor and ill gotten nutrition.
I shall, in fact, continue to wait
Until my Employer Delivers my Pay.
For then I may purchase my own
To feed my tired, starving body, muscles, mind
And be completely full and satisfied.
I quite the screams and aloud cries;
I am starving
I return slowly to my empty home
Listening to my satisfied soul
Telling me that although I maybe hungry,
Although my body hasn't eaten in a long while,
Although I have grown thin, my muscles weak, my mind tried
I shall soon feed and eat right
I shall not wither and die
No matter how much I think so
I will not starve