Hillol Ray

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Over the last decade, humanity has conquered
And made great progress in every facet-
From mapping the human genome to
Global communications that became a real asset!
Giant leaps have been taken via the Internet
And the gentle click of the silent mouse-
To make the world viewable now without travel
And from the comfort of our house!

Yet a human tragedy still afflicts the world
For denial of most basic human rights of all:
The right to food for millions of hands
And mouths that are now ringing the global call!
Food is vital to human life, and its scarcity is triggering
The daily hapless global fights-
‘Cause hunger is a major constraint on
Human development followed by human rights!

Hunger kills lives and hopes of individuals,
While damaging peace and prosperity as well-
It may even take the toll on learning, art, and literature
Where our thoughts need to dwell!
This problem is acute in the developing world,
And relief needs to be desperately sought-
In an effort to make this millennium free from hunger,
And the battles we already fought!

Globalization of agriculture has progressed so well
As a mixed blessing for the mankind-
And now strives for a pattern of economic growth
To reduce poverty that we can still find!
The complexities of agro-ecologies require big push
For new research, money and power-
To speed up the food security with new patterns
And flow, blessed with heavenly shower!

Be assured, ending hunger or food security
Is not simply a matter of growing more food-
Rather it’s a challenge to allow food to flow
To the needy irrespective of hoarders’ mood!
Now we must focus on long-term strategy
To eliminate hunger and the underlying cause-
Empowered by safety nets to protect the vulnerable
Before we even take the single pause!

In a stretch of own madness, the strategy to build
A hunger-free world looms on my mind-
Devastated by the sadness of the poverty
And I do prefer to put the subtle clause in a bind!
Undoubtedly the World Agriculture needs
The global governance today and I am too sure-
So may I raise this issue as a ‘Food for Thought’
From a divine heart, innocent and pure??