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A Gift of Poetry. The unique gift for every occasion

Your words, your thoughts and feelings. Captured within a gift, A Gift of Poetry. Presented in a uniquely designed, boxed, hand-made card, with your verse of choice as a key emotional focal point. Truly, a 'once-in-a-lifetime' gift, a gift that inspires the heart and touches the soul.

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The Worldishman

Born in Northampton, England,

cobbled together in a cobbling town,

three of three, Mum had me at home,

for the record, in a two up two down.

And so began life’s journey,

as always, the magic quickly started to unfold,

I began to write my life story, thankfully,

some of the chapters will remain untold.

But along life’s pebbled path,

there’s been a few boulders blocking the road,

but in the end, I think it’s all pretty fair,

we all get back just what we’ve sowed.

And now I share my time between countries,

neither an Englishman or an Australian at heart,

and now that’s quite hard to explain,

so where on earth could I possibly start?

Maybe I’ll start with Beckham’s missed penalty,

because yes, that was my head I was holding in my hands,

who ran around the pub when Wilkinson dropped that goal?

Yes, these are things only a true Englishman understands.

But then I think what John Lennon said,

and how he imagined how the world could be,

he imagined no countries, no religion, no borders,

just imagine how different it would be for him, you and me.

Because there are about three billion people,

(yes, that’s 3 followed by 9 noughts),

and they have to live on a dollar a day,

and that thought leaves me feeling out of sorts.

So I’ll keep my English and Australian passports,

(otherwise, I’d have to keep my feet firmly on the ground),

but I’m going to become a Worldishman,

because I think there’s a new future to be found.

A future without those man made borders,

where people are not judged by the colour of their skin,

where what’s inside is the stuff that really counts,

and honestly, that’s always been the important thing.

Because I know I’m not alone on this planet,

a growing number are tired of sending their sons to war,

so let’s get our leaders to fill their hot air balloons,

if they take a world view, then we’ll truly soar.

Because it can’t be right that I have to diet,

yet, countless others struggle to find a bowl of rice a day,

so come on all you merry Worldishmen,

let’s unite, and show the World the way.

www.agiftofpoetry.com

World Hunger and Global Poverty

We can't keep doing the same things and expect a different result. It is only human nature to want to protect your family, your home town, your country, your flag etc. The only problem with this mindset is that people outside of those protected borders are somehow, less equal, less important, you tend to care less about them. In the past, this is why politicians and local governments have never really solved and tackled the world hunger issue. The issues are global but politicians get elected on local promises and policies. I have great hope that the public are, in this case, ahead of their leaders in this thought process. The Tsunami in December 2004 proved beyond any shadow of doubt that the public cares (and cares deeply). There were times in January 2005 when the governments of the world were playing “catch up” to match the unconditional generosity of their electorate. Many have realized the need for a just world, a world where there is genuine opportunity for all, where frankly, people don’t starve to death. They also know that a more balanced world is environmentally sounder and a much safer place to live, “because poverty is the swamp where terrorism breeds”. .

This is why, to change what's happening, to stop 30,000 people starving to death every day, I'm sorry my friend, it's down to you. Not the US but US, me and you. Governments, charities, politicians, Band Aid, Live Aid are just NOT going to do it. The sum total of all those current and past efforts and policies have led us to where we are today. We're HERE. 30,000 people starving to death every day (and a world that is effectively at war).

Look, what Bob, Midge and Co. did was absolutely brilliant and Live Aid raised about £250m. However, when you compare this number to the amount of interest that the poorer nations have to repay, each and every year, it is simply dwarfed. A drop in the bucket. Africa’s debt is around $300B and debt repayment takes $15 billion from the continent every year. You do not have to be Einstein to realize that the country is on it’s knees. It will NEVER repay the debt. Add the AIDS crisis to the equation and it’s a disaster, not waiting to happen, but one that is happening now.

So, how do you fight global hunger? One mouth at a time. Please use yours. There are many wonderful people out there trying to make a difference. Have a look at www.makepovertyhistory.com as just one example. We have a unique opportunity this year to make enormous changes. July 2005, with the G8 meeting, could be a monumental milestone.

However, I still think it is down to you and me to change the world. Whatever we have done on a personal level up to now, it just hasn’t been enough. Nowhere near. So, or like I tried to say at the start: Same things = same result. Different things = different result. Over to you (and me).

Two Sense Worth

I am no economist but this seems like common sense:

Rich nations need to find a way to forgive or postpone the debt owed by the poorer nations. The richer nations also need to give more to the poorer nations (fractions of one per cent of GNP make a massive difference).
There needs to be a mechanism in place to ensure that the money gets through to the people on the ground (otherwise vast amounts of wealth will disappear into the “ether” or be spent on arms).
Trade needs to be fair for all (even if we have to pay more for our coffee).
We as individuals need to give and care more. We need to start thinking that we are all part of “One World”, that we are global citizens, that we are “Worldishmen”.

Facts and Figures

1. 11 million children younger than 5 die every year, more than half from hunger-related causes. Source: www.bread.org

2. Number of children in the world: 2.2 billion. Number of children living in poverty: 1 billion - every second child. Source: www.unicef.org

Q. For every $10 the US spent on the war on Iraq, how much did it give in aid to foreign countries in 2003?

A. $1.07

Approx. Cost of war = $147,000,000,000 (December 2004)

Source:www.costofwar.com

Official Development Assistance (ODA) 2003 = US$15,791,000,000

Source: http://www.globalissues.org

USA's aid, in terms of percentage of their GNP (0.14%) is already the lowest of any industrialized nation in the world, though paradoxically in the last three years, their dollar amount has been the highest. The UK at 0.34% of GNP is significantly higher, but still well short of the target of 0.7% agreed at the Earth Summit in 1992.

About Allen Jesson

Allen is a full time poet and his web-site: A Gift of Poetry (www.agiftofpoetry.com) is one of the top 45,000 sites in the world. Allen has written over 1,000 poems for people from all walks of life. He is apolitical, has no hidden agenda and does not follow any particular creed or religion.