Saturday, November 21, 2020

Poverty in a Time of Pandemic

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR:  CORONAVIRUS SERIES


Poverty in a Time of Pandemic

 

The Standing Rock Sioux

Stood up to the oil industry

They fought long and tough and hard

To defend the earth from harm

The people of Standing Rock are poor

Where others offer money and time

The tribe put it all on the line

 

Poor people do not vote

So it is said and too often it’s true

But the time has come to break old habits

Strike out at something new

 

Poor people are sick and dying

Poor people are denied healthcare

Poor people suffer heart disorders

Tuberculosis cancer lung disease

Poor people have drinking problems

Hard drugs and addiction

Because they want to escape

Because they’ve lost hope

Because no one cares

 

When times get hard for all

Some people cut expenses

Some people tap their savings

Some people do without

Poor people become homeless

Jobless hungry desperate

 

When all is said and done

Poverty kills

Poverty in a time of pandemic

Kills ten times quicker

And more often

 

(The poverty rate at the Standing Rock

Reservation is 43.2%.)

 

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