Fishing Rods, Guns And God Poem by gershon hepner

Some say: Give me a fishing rod
so when I start to wish
for food I needn’t pray to God:
I’ll catch myself a fish.
Some think that rifles or revolvers
may solve their problems better,
becoming with such problem solvers
to God a lifer debtor.

All fishing rods are just like guns
in any fish’s eyes,
but I feel merciless when one’s
my dinnertime fish prize.

A bank account won’t save a fish
from dying, but with one
you may prepare a sauce that’s pish,
and not be forced to run
away from cops or into church
or synagogue for aid,
for it won’t leave you in the lurch,
demanding debts be paid.



Inspired by Nicholas Kristof’s Op-Ed in the NYT, December 31,2009 “Sparking a Savings Revolution”) :
There’s an old saying about poverty: Give me a fish, and I’ll eat for a day. Give me a fishing rod, and I’ll eat for a lifetime. There are many variations in that theme. In Somalia, I heard a darker version: If I buy food, I’ll eat for a day. If I buy a gun, I’ll eat every day. But these days, there’s evidence that one of the most effective tools to fight global poverty may be neither a fishing rod nor a gun, but a savings accounts. What we need is a savings revolution. Right now, the world’s poor almost never have access to a bank account. Cash sits around and gets spent — and, frankly, often spent badly.

12/31/09