i wear my mask & shop in my grocery store
fresh fruits & veggies & locally produced meat
on top of my list
i inhale the scents, imagining earth's fertile soil
basking in sun, spices & oils
but this routine chore is a madman's maze
of confusing marketing pitches & items
as i am aware only too well
of what it takes to bring food to my home
there are deceptions at work in the process
to make the fruits super-sized & fresher than they are
to sell meats and milk as organic when they are not
to push for colorful packaging over bland & nutritionless items
at worst, we are vulnerable & misearable as chickens
packed in industrial farm
I know that i chose this life in the city
so I go on inhaling industrial fumes
while hopscotching over sugar-laced snacks & drinks
only too aware that others go hungry & live with the
foreshadowing of war above their homes
i am blessed to protest in my own way
while continuing to educate myself about food safety & fraud
if you can, speak up to your local community
before we all turn to codified shell-empty flower cuttings
Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Protest Poems - I have chosen the theme and issue of food safety and fraud. Please join us when the pub doors open by 3pm EST.
Wow Grace, you went all out and wrote an epic protest poem! You chose a contemporary topic close to everyone’s hearts. I love the appeal to the senses, especially in the lines:
ReplyDelete‘i inhale the scents, imagining earth's fertile soil
basking in sun, spices & oils’
and the apt simile: ‘we are vulnerable & miserable as chickens packed in industrial farm’ made me angry for the chickens – I don’t eat meat and we regularly see chickens and other animals being transported in cramped trucks.
I think trying the best we can is all we can do... but there are limits. At least when I work from home it means that we mostly eat homecooked... then I know a little bit better what it is.
ReplyDeleteI love this line so much:
ReplyDelete“while hopscotching over sugar, laced”
My favorite line:
ReplyDelete"at worst, we are vulnerable & misearable as chickens
packed in industrial farm..." Somehow, this reminds me of "The Smiths."
Your poem is heartbreaking and poignant. We go through the mundane in life and the fakery, but there are lives out there who cannot protest for themselves; they do not have the resources, or they are in poverty, etc, etc. It's very sad.
Protest indeed in your own way. You give voice to those who cannot, in this way. Keep writing and inspiring.
This is absolutely EPIC and so on point, Grace. The imagery woven throughout the poem is elegant, fiery and palpable. Especially love; "i inhale the scents, imagining earth's fertile soil basking in sun, spices & oils but this routine chore is a madman's maze."💝
ReplyDeleteWe really are being deceived by marketing when it comes to something as basic as nutrition. You make a powerful point regarding a simple message: disregard the fancy packaging and eat locally-produced fresh produce wherever possible. I think unfortunately the most disadvantaged in society end up being taken advantage of the most in this area. You have spoken up for them here.
ReplyDeleteSuch truth in your words, Grace. I read a book long ago about subliminal advertising, and beyond what we see there are invisible prompts and nudges that sway our judgement. All we ccan do is try to keep informed and do the best we can!
ReplyDeleteYour poem is so rich with education and truth, Grace. In my readings one piece of advice stuck out about grocery stores: shop the outside edges and stay away from the center where all of that hideous packing hiding deathly ingredients with minimal nutrition sit waiting on the shelves to pull you in with their pretty colors and lettering (and crinkling sounds!) There have been studies done that show how many urban areas have no grocery store at all, where the poor who are too poor or weak to take public transport are forced to shop at convenience stores and we know what those are full of!
ReplyDeleteYou are completely spot on!
ReplyDeleteBrava Grace! We so easily accept what is thrust in our faces as 'organic' and 'natural' when it really isn't. I try to avoid all processed foods and now when I have to take a short cut, I can taste the chemicals in the food. It's quite disgusting. Its the pesticides and chemicals that are going to kill us 😦
ReplyDeleteBravo Grace. Razor sharp and focussed like a hawk...
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly hard to know just what we're buying these days.
ReplyDeletePerfect, Grace. There’s much psychology that goes into marketing. And your take on the injustice of others starving is on point!
ReplyDeleteI think we’ve all struggled with this. You captured our frustration. Today our Walmart finally opened the second door. Small steps back to some normal living.
ReplyDeleteI hear your angst Grace... at worst, we are vulnerable & miserable as chickens...
ReplyDeleteWe really don't know what is being fed to us!
Great poem. Love your descriptive lines.
"We are vulnerable & misearable (sic) as chickens / packed in industrial farm..." The one behavior replicates itself upside down in the urban market; are they any different? Well done -
ReplyDeleteYes, food is where it should start. It's so basic to our existence, and yet it's been made so complicated.
ReplyDeleteonly too aware that others go hungry & live with the
ReplyDeleteforeshadowing of war above their homes
WE are more fortunate than some who are not able even to have a decent living. A protest though is still a valid way out!
Hank
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ReplyDeleteI think our choices are important and at least we can try to be conscious consumers. Important thoughts here
ReplyDeleteI just try to stay out of the aisles--all the safe stuff is on perimeter.
ReplyDeleteGrace, I love the way your verse had me wending my way through the store with you, my thoughts following yours, the sights, the feels, the frustrations, the resolve, the exhortation. I like it all :)
ReplyDeleteGrace, your words are powerful and encompass so much that is important to our living and survival. My biggest protest for much of this is that I'm vegetarian, though I know much of the veggies and fruits are contaminated with pesticides. I buy organic but ...can't trust that fully. What a world.
ReplyDeleteNice to read you again Grace.
Wow!
ReplyDeleteDeceptions at work in the process
ReplyDeletei am blessed to protest in my own way
while continuing to educate myself about food safety & fraud
Yes!
Brava! Excellent take on the prompt!
ReplyDelete'Appled in the city' describes exactly what I discussed with my mother a day back. I used to love apples- red, juicy, sweet with tint of sourness,and most importantly they were right sized for my mouth haha- but now I can clearly see quality of even edibles dissipating into money. It is disheartening and your piece has described it to the core. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGrace,
ReplyDeleteI hear your concerns and share them. How did feeding our bodies become so complicated?
Thanks for speaking out through poetry.
ALi
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ReplyDelete