Filthy Rich and Homeless: can empathy alone really change how we view disadvantage?
https://www.sbs.com.au/programs/filthy-rich-and-homeless

blue tarp
the flag of the homeless
in any country
the international flag of
shame
shame
shame
and in particular
the shame
of the countries
obscenely rich
prosperous
lacking in compassion
without a moral compass
there is no excuse
for the suffering
for the cruelty of
homelessness


And I hope I'm around to see it.
Wow! Thank you for the pointed-ness of this poem with its marvelously long title. Blue tarp and black plastic bags alternate in the USA. We do not take care of our own.
ReplyDeleteFinland has reduced homelessness by more than 50%. Australia is five times wealthier than Finland and our homeless situation is at crisis point. Over 116,000 homeless people in Australia sleep rough every night!
ReplyDeleteA good interpretation of the prompt, to highlight something that desperately needs redress.
ReplyDeleteIf there is a north pole there will be a south pole, this is the history of mankind. I don't think there will ever be an equilibrium as long as there is unbridled greed. Humans deserve a mass scale cataclysm and they are advancing towards that speedily. Ha. A good one, Rall.
ReplyDeleteThis is AWESOME. A blue tarp the flag of the homeless and you are right - the shame lies on the obscenely rich leaders who do not care. Of which we have too many at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThis is a global problem, We need to fix this you poem is strong and small
ReplyDeletemuch love...
Sadly becoming rich demands that there will always be an underclass too as the human race becomes less humane. Countries such as Britain seemed to look after their citizens best in wartime!
ReplyDeleteThis shame exists the world over, and I would echo Sumana's comment as her words are my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteRegrettably, it is easier to look away than actually change something...
Anna :o]