CULTIVATING COMPASSION The Power of Poetry to Speak Back to Hunger
BY HIRAM LAREW
For this lovely bowl /HWXVDUUDQJHVRPHÀRZHUV Since we have no rice Matsuo Basho (1644 – 1694)
This is an article about hunger and poetry — two topics that may QRW VHHP UHODWHG DW DOO %XW LI \RX DUH ZLOOLQJ WR UHDG D ELW IXUWKHU \RX¶OOKRSHIXOO\EHFRQYLQFHGRWKHUZLVH +XQJHULVHYHU\ZKHUH,W¶VLQRXUQHLJKERUKRRGVRQRXUFDPSXVHV WKURXJKRXWRXUIDUPLQJKHDUWODQGDQGLQRXUWRZQVDQGFLWLHV<HVLW¶V LQHYHU\QRRNDQGFUDQQ\RIRXUFRXQWU\,W¶VDOVRUDPSDQWDURXQGWKH ZRUOG&29,'FDXVHGGLVUXSWLRQVWRIRRGVWUHDPVDQGLQFRPHVKDYH H[WHQGHGKXQJHU¶VUHDFK:RUOGZLGHRIRXUIHOORZKXPDQVIDFH KXQJHU²WKDW¶VDERXWELOOLRQSHRSOH 6RXUFH 8QLWHG1DWLRQV 6LP - LODUVWDWLVWLFVDUHDOVRDYDLODEOHIRUPRVW]LSFRGHVLQWKH86WKDQNVWR WKHLPSRUWDQWZRUNRI)HHGLQJ$PHULFD ZZZIHHGLQJDPHULFDRUJ
Artwork by Diane Wilbon Parks
For as long as poetry has been written, it has roused public sup- port for social causes. One of the most widely known contemporary H[DPSOHVRIVXFKSRZHUIXOZRUNLV(PPD/D]DUXV¶VSRHP The New Colossus ZKLFKZDVHQVKULQHGLQ RQDEURQ]HSODTXHDWWKHEDVH of The Statue of Liberty. Its clarion call to the “huddled masses” of im- PLJUDQWVKDVSURFODLPHGRXUFRXQWU\¶VSULGHIXOZHOFRPHWRDQ\DQGDOO HYHUVLQFH$QG,GDUHVD\WKHSRHPKDVKHOSHGWRVKDSHRXUFRXQWU\¶V immigration policies. <HVSRHWU\FDQVWDQGXSDQGVSHDNRXW 6RKRZDERXWSRHWU\RIKXQJHU":HOO%DVKR¶VKDXQWLQJKDLNXIURP QHDUO\\HDUVDJRQRWZLWKVWDQGLQJXQWLOUHFHQWO\YHU\IHZSRHPV DERXWKXQJHURIWKHVWRPDFKKDYHEHHQDYDLODEOH <HVWKHUHDUH lots RISRHPVDYDLODEOHDERXWKXQJHURIWKHKHDUWVSLULWRUVRXO 7KLVODFN of inventory is why I founded 3RHWU\;+XQJHU — to encourage poets from near and far to write about hunger. Poets have responded! Using special calls and contests, we now KDYHPRUHWKDQSRHPVE\SRHWVIURPPDQ\FRXQWULHVDQGRIDOO ages posted on the 3RHWU\;+XQJHU ZHEVLWH ZZZ3RHWU\;+XQJHU FRP 1XWULWLRQIDPLQHIRRGZDVWHKHDOWKDQGZHOOEHLQJVXVWDLQ -
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PATHWAYS—Fall 22—25
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