Corona virus – Danger Lurks in the Air

Written by  Selam Teshome                 
14 years old                 
Nairobi, Kenya

Fields deserted
Like the sodden, drafty streets
With pleading vendors
And empty weighing scales
The child asks ‘how many?’
Mama says ‘just one’
The spoonful not so heaping
Just enough to make
Hunger blunt
Prices soar until
They can’t be seen
Anymore
Only by the ones
With deep pockets
People scramble for
The remains and weep
‘Tell us what
We have to do.
We cannot eat our masks’
Leaders groan with
Perturbation
Drenched with responsibility
For the ones with no
Bread
Danger lurks in the
Air.
Will we be able to contain this?
Or will we be left with swelling bellies
Full of
Air?

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Note from LWCF: We are honored to be able to share Selam Teshome’s poem, “Corona virus – Danger Lurks in the Air“, with you. When we reached out to Selam’s mother, Dr. Emily Teshome, to find out if we should share this moving poem, she discussed it with Selam, who responded, “Mum, I think if this poem can trigger support towards the needy and hungry children then it will have served its purpose”. If Selam’s poem moved you like it moved our Board Members when we first read it, please consider donating to our Coronavirus Emergency Relief Campaign and please share this link to get Selam’s message out to the world! 100% of donated funds will be designated to provide direct relief to the children of Living Water supported schools, programs and initiatives, in a time of increased food insecurity and global crisis.