A Outstretched Hand
What will I do?
How will I survive?
If they only knew
How much I need…
The hamburger
Potatoes, carrots
All the corn they
Never realize
Sustains me
Despite my shame
I hurry toward the line
Where I’ll hide my desire
My hunger, my yearning
Beneath shadowed eyes
Behind a shallow smile
What will I do?
How will I survive?
Do they not see
The worry in my eyes?
What will I do?
How will I survive?
If they don’t feed me
Will I turn to stealing?
What will I do?
How will I survive?
If they only knew…
How desperately I need
The groceries they give me
When I’m sure I haven’t a cent
To buy even a soda or chips
What will I do?
How will I survive?
Someday, someway, I’ll give back
Recompence for their kindness
Someday, someway, I’ll give back
A portion of this sustenance
To another who is in need
Of a second chance, a way to eat
A way to weather the storm
That comes before the sun
What will I do?
How will I survive?
I finally understand
I’ll always get by because there is
A helping hand, a friend
There at the counter
Where the food bank sends
Hamburger, hotdog, potatoes
All the nourishment to help maintain
A life like mine, who has found
Tenderness in an outstretched hand
Panic at the Food Bank poetry contest
Sponsored by: Kai Michael Neumann
July 28, 2021
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