Hunger: Nutrition, Literacy, Art, God, & Doing for Others

On a bright sunny morning, in the shadow of the steeple
By the relief office, I saw my people.
They stood there hungry, I stood there wondering if
This land was made for you and me
-- Woody Guthrie, one of the two suppressed verses from This Land is your Land, This Land is My Land

Are we hungry like the tiger lily,
all stretched out, taut
with orange and yellow and stamens
licking out? In a week, it
withers into crumpled crepe paper.

Are we hungry like a tree with
a plastic grocery bag caught in its head?
One bag can stay like an abandoned flag
for months, tearing into strips.
Are we hungry like the glutton
who feeds and remains malnourished?
Are we hungry like a hole in the ground
when a child puts his hand in? Do we liken that
to the grave, where that child will end, someday,
much later, today or tomorrow? Are we hungry
like a bucket tipped, when the water
yawns out? Are we hungry
like a half-read book? Like an open door?
Are we satisfied with a curse?

Are we so hungry we shout in parks
that Jesus does so much, when
clearly someone has not done enough?

Copyright Louise Robertson