Hunger, a Poem by Helga Gruendler-Schierloh

Yesterday we drank red wine

and dined pleasantly bored,

arrogance our daily guest.

There were no doubts,

there were no fears,

great promises rang in our ears.

We were entitled to the best.

Amidst abundance, we ignored

many an early warning sign.

Today we cherish what we eat

and heed the wake-up call

of scarcity creeping in.

And suddenly we’re sorry

as we become aware

of how little there’s to spare.

Yes, affluence can be a sin,

and the consequence of it all

is a future that spells defeat.

Tomorrow we may know for sure

whether we are going to face

the hunger we so dread.

As all around the globe

nation upon nation

is succumbing to starvation,

we will join the human race

in the hunt to find the bread

that we must have to endure.

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Helga Gruendler-Schierloh is a bilingual writer with a degree in journalism and graduate credits in linguistics. After growing up in Germany, Helga spent time in England, and now resides in Michigan. Her articles, essays, short stories and poetry have appeared in the USA, the UK, Canada, and South Africa. Her debut novel, “Burying Leo,” a MeToo story released in 2017 by Laurel Highlands Publishing, won second place in women’s fiction during Pen Craft Awards’ 2018 writing contest.