All Nonfiction
- Bullying
- Books
- Academic
- Author Interviews
- Celebrity interviews
- College Articles
- College Essays
- Educator of the Year
- Heroes
- Interviews
- Memoir
- Personal Experience
- Sports
- Travel & Culture
All Opinions
- Bullying
- Current Events / Politics
- Discrimination
- Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
- Entertainment / Celebrities
- Environment
- Love / Relationships
- Movies / Music / TV
- Pop Culture / Trends
- School / College
- Social Issues / Civics
- Spirituality / Religion
- Sports / Hobbies
All Hot Topics
- Bullying
- Community Service
- Environment
- Health
- Letters to the Editor
- Pride & Prejudice
- What Matters
- Back
Summer Guide
- Program Links
- Program Reviews
- Back
College Guide
- College Links
- College Reviews
- College Essays
- College Articles
- Back
Starving
June 23, 2019
bowls of potato soup
taunt the starving children
the monster inside their stomachs
growls and claws at the fragile lining
between skin and tract
want some, want some?
the monster cackles
retreating deeper into the pit
of their guts
a passing smell
of meat
turns them ravenous
they reach for anything they can
the dry soil scratches their throats
and the dead winter grass lodges between
rotting teeth
the monster curls up in a ball
waiting for it’s next attack.
the monster is always there
the children are always hungry
© Olivia N., Ho Chi Minh
Similar Articles
Previous Next
This is about the daily struggle children without food face. They likely feel tormented by an inner voice and are literally desperate for anything they can get. The part about the grass and soil was inspired by the French Revolution. The people of France who were extremely poor and could not afford food had to go to extreme measures to survive. This included eating grass and dirt. I hope this speaks to you or helps you understand what nearly a billion children face every day.