This poem is dedicated to all human beings yearning for freedom from
hunger, poverty and all kinds of deprivation. Eid Mubarak and never
surrender!

Ramadan

Thank you Ramadan
Thank you for making me human
You dawn on me
Yes you humble me
For a moment I seem to understand

The hunger so intense
Sudden surge of headache
The sun's radiation on me
As if to punish

Thirst is no longer just a word
It is the pain in me
I can finally touch it
Hunger I now know
Feeling the twist
In my weary intestines

I think of the women and men
Toiling under the intense sun
Carrying the burden of life
Inflicted by other humans
Burdened by thy greed
Fasting all their lives

Their hearts full of grief
Smelling the decay from within
With no hopes of a great feast at dusk
Nor the privilege of a meal at dawn

Tempted by the smell of food
I feel your pain
How you constantly salivate
Walking through the alley of poverty
Smelling the distant taste of luxury

The lavish cooking
Spending to lure envy
Splendid from head to toes
As if supreme from birth
Yet you are a thief

You steal our wealth
And give us poverty
You steal our dignity
And turn us into beggars
You steal our youth
And turn us into child soldiers

In the darkness of Ramadan
You hatch plans
You commit adultery
Infatuated with wealth

Dangle the bait in my face
Then snatch it away
Now I feed on promises
Are you not a sadist

Ramadan you humble me
But what do I do
When the devil turns to me
Asking for forgiveness
When he has been sinning
Foolishly hoping to purify
During Ramadan

Judgement day seems to be too far
I continue to smell the decay
For once we become equal
Rich and poor shake hands
As if to dilute poverty
And remix the cards
Wishful thinking

We look forward
Struggling and praying
For our sun to set
To set us free
From hunger and misery
To break the long fast
Thank you Ramadan

Alpha Robinson

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