Cold Hash

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We were never hungry
Never missed a meal
Mother would say
Eat your hash—
There are children starving in Africa!
But I didn’t know them
Not even one
It was so far away
I mash the hash with my fork
Write my initials in ketchup
I choke down a bite

Mom remade this in to that
Not wasting a crumb
She knew what it was like
To scrape together a meal
To lose all that you had
The family farm
An auction
She was just two
They ate lard sandwiches
And walked uphill to school

After mum passed away I hopped on a plane
I traveled to Africa to see for myself
Expecting to see more than photos depict
It’s true what she said
Not just children were hungry
Their parents were too

It’s hard to return to the States after that
Seeing hunger first-hand
Bones with flesh
Holding them in your arms
Wishing you could draw a line in the dirt
Simply step over it
Eradicate hunger
Balance the scale
Stop the waste of food here
For lives over there

This picture of hunger
Has no borders
It is everywhere I have traveled
And it is here
In our land
Home of the free and the brave
For some that is true
For others nearby
Cupboards are empty
Nothing in sight
On one corner plenty
On the other plight

Teach a man to fish
Teach a man to sow
Spend time with your neighbor
We really need to know
Who needs our help
Who needs a meal
Has our hunger for this
Caused a hunger for that
The stuff our body needs
Rather than that which it craves

Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest
We pray before meals
And start thinking of the next one
Before this one ends
While somewhere in town
Or the other side of the world
A family gives thanks for a potato
A potato they share
That hunger is real

For the backstory, visit:
RANDOM MUSINGS OF AN INTROVERTED VISUAL LEARNER