Africa's Hungry Children Poem by Alf Hutchison
Africa's Hungry Children
A photograph appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in 1994...a malnourished dying child trying to crawl to a UN aid post a kilometer away...watched over by a vulture just waiting for the child to die...
Kevin Carter zoomed his camera lens, that day in’94,
A starving child in Sudan, was knocking at death’s door,
One vulture and one journalist; both mere meters away,
Both with different agendas; but a dying babe their prey.
A world stood aghast and horrified, by that photo in the Times,
Starvation’s morbid clock unveiled, its ticking and its chimes,
But two would reap the benefit of this poor child’s demise,
Sudan much needed food and aid… and Carter, a Pulitzer Prize.
We dare not stand in judgment; for we were never there;
Africa is an angry land; fermenting poverty and despair,
“Don’t touch the sick and dying” Kevin Carter had been told;
He abandoned that poor child, as other scenes did unfold.
Plagued by haunting vivid memories, of Africa’s en-rapt pain,
Those abandoned starving children, surely drove this man insane,
He observed first hand, our tragic land, we seldom comprehend;
Driving him, just three month hence… his tormented life to end.
Lord when will the suffering cease, in Africa so sublime?
Will ever we be a land, free of hunger, strife and crime?
Will the image of Kevin’s photo, open up our ailing eyes,
And open up our deaf ears…to our hungry children’s cries?
Alf Hutchison
MT 19: 14 But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'
It portrays an enormous and upsetting occurence.(try my' Confrontation')
A very graphic write about an occurence that should not habve happened, you say it how it is Alf, 10 Lynda xx
A very stirring picture in its stark clarity, and it is heart rendering. It is all right taking a picture but what does it do if no one acts or learns by it. A sad part of life on earth, we are too ensconced in our own survival and have no idea what it is like to suffer hunger. This is a very well constructed poem Alf, and one of your best, you have captured reality in all its horror. Love and hugs Ernestine XXX
Beautifully piece of poetry depicting the deplorable nature of African jungle economy. A lovely poem insightfully penned with conviction and well graced with nice rhyme scheme. Thanks for sharing. Please read my poem MANDELA - THE IMMORTAL ICON.
Exceptionally real, heart rending and potent piece which you have captured so very well. Best Steve
OMG! I am touched! a compact and crystal-clear pictograph! Oh childrens! Great eloquence dear Alf! 10+
Hello Alf, I don't usually read requests because my poetry is a need. It sustains me and has done for a long time, like food I suppose, but this subject of Africa and the starving millions is very close to my heart and always has been. When I was a child, newspapers were my literary food and I wept at the images of these starving children, dying, as you describe, right in front of the photographers eyes...images so distressing, any decent human being would be reduced to tears, and I, as a small child, did just that. Since growing up, I have had occasion to wonder how the photographers can keep shooting, as people are shot in front of them, or not feed the starving child they are photographing, and I realised that what they do, is bring the true picture home, to roast the souls of the 'West'. Some obviously are going for the money and the drama, but I doubt many do that job, for that reason. I have known good men hang themselves when confronted with tragedy, just doing their job, these images can stick fast to the soul and destroy us, BUT I say, keep taking them, if you are meant to be there, and can prevent other children from enduring such a pitiful end, keep taking those shots...Bombard the Public with them, make them see, just what their life styles are doing to hunanity...the majority on this planet live in poverty. Africa has a long history and is a formidible environment to survive in. Life is cheap, BUT the West can put back what they have stolen and still steal, but only if they have a conscience, which The Journalists and Photographers of our World' can influence. Great Write. God rest their souls. Smiling at you Tai
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/18/2024 9:25:53 PM # 1.0.0.1119
Poetry meet politics in this adeptly crafted piece to shout its potent message from every well chosen line. Vivid and heartrending. S