The Thirsty Ones

Charles Edward York 1966 (Saigon, Vietnam)



The Thirsty Ones

Why do we pay attention to the famous
When the voiceless ones are silent
They deserve the lights don’t they?
Needs for food, shelter, jobs,
Medicine and safe homes
Are they not important?
Why do the wealthy
Ignore their pleas
And perpetuate greed
With impunity?

Our human values are all upside down
We promote profiteering
Over sharing in a civilized world
A society that favors the privileged
And forgets the masses
Eyes and mouths
Consuming entertainment
Instead of watching out
For our common good
And lifting up minds.

Broken glass happens with slippery hands
Could it be with human lives?
As we gain our wealth
The weight of care
Gets to be too much?
Does the world spill out
Because we refuse to refill
The blessings given to us
The thirsty one craves
What we left drying on the floor.

Copyright © 2023 Charles Edward York
No part of this poem may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any way or form or by any means electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise without the written permission of the author.*

About this poem

The plight of the poor

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Written on August 22, 2023

Submitted by charlesedwardyork on August 22, 2023

1:00 min read
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Quick analysis:

Scheme X ABXXXBCXXC XXXXXXBDXX XXXXXDXAXX XX
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,076
Words 200
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 1, 10, 10, 10, 2

Charles Edward York

Charles Edward York is an author and poet activist living in Plano, Texas. He’s written over 1400 poems and published 17 books of poetry. Born in Vietnam and raised a citizen in Dallas, Texas, he writes poems that include the subjects of love and relationships, nature, social justice, including police violence against African-Americans and minorities, astronomy and others. more…

All Charles Edward York poems | Charles Edward York Books

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    "The Thirsty Ones" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/167082/the-thirsty-ones>.

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