Welcome to the first addition of Poetry Day for Story Chat Digest 2025. We will discuss these incredible poems just as we do the short stories. Any type of poem is acceptable as long as it doesn’t contain profanity or erotica and would appeal to a large audience.
Story Chat is more than a writing challenge. It is a unique and proven online program encouraging interaction between authors and readers. It’s part writers group, part beta readers, part fun fiction and pure enjoyment.
SUMMARIES will publish on Fridays a little over a week from the date the story or poem is published. As always, one, or a compilation, of your comments will appear with a link to one of the latest posts on your website.
Invisible by Robbie Cheadle
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Invisible man
Lying huddled
In a worn sleeping bag
Slowly thawing
In weak winter sunlight
One invisible hand
Covering his invisible eyes
Invisible woman
Her invisible child
Strapped to her
Invisible back
Standing at the traffic light
An empty polystyrene cup
Clutched in one invisible hand
Invisible tears leaking
From the baby’s
Invisible eyes
Invisible people
Standing in an invisible queue
Outside the soup kitchen
Quietly waiting as
Cheerful helpers dole out helpings
Of richly steaming soup
To fill the invisible empty stomachs
Of the invisible homeless
******
A billion Weet-bix* by Doug Jacquier
Inspired by a harvest boom year in the time of Covid in Australia
This year’s view for city folk
was staring at the wall,
but farmer folk dried their eyes
as they saw the raindrops fall.
At last the drought was broken
on those brown-baked Western plains.
Years of farming crops of dust,
then a year of reaping grains.
Kids who’ve never seen a harvest
sit silent as headers roar,
mowing down the waving fields
for the combine’s greedy maw.
At sunset the grimy, wheat-caked farmer
tallies his groaning bins
‘Enough for a billion Weet-bix!’
and his family’s swathed in grins.
‘That’s brekkie taken care of
and there’s pasta never-ending.
Barley for the brewers next,
that’ll keep those elbows bending.’
This year has bonded cockies*
and those who labour for a dollar;
from breakfast through to beer o’clock,
now everyone’s blue collar.
Weet-bix – popular Australian breakfast cereal
Cocky – Australian slang for farmer
*********
Biographies
The poems this month are penned by two veteran Story Chat authors, Robbie Cheadle and Doug Jacquier.
Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published thirteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies. Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name. The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision. Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
Robbie Cheadle also has a degree in Accounting Science and is employed as an accountant.
Follow Robbie Cheadle at:
- Website https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
- Blog https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
- Twitter https://twitter.com/bakeandwrite
- YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
- Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
Purchase links:
- TSL Publications (paperbacks) https://tslbooks.uk/robbie-cheadle/
- Lulu.com (paperbacks and ebooks https://www.lulu.com/search/?adult_audience_rating=00&contributor=Robbie+Cheadle&page=1&pageSize=10
- Amazon US (paperbacks) https://www.amazon.com/Robbie-Cheadle/e/B01N9J62GQ
- Amazon UK (paperbacks) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robbie-Cheadle/e/B01N9J62GQ
Doug Jacquier
Doug Jacquier lives with his wife, Sue, in Victor Harbor, South Australia. He’s had over 100 pieces of fiction, non-fiction and poetry published in 5 countries and is the editor of the humour site, Witcraft https://witcraft.org. He has another blog, Six Crooked Highways, as well.
He’s a father, grandfather and great grand-father, an avid cook, vegetable gardener and incurable punster. He’s had over 30 jobs (including rock band roadie) and has lived in many places across Australia, including regional and remote communities. He has travelled extensively, especially in Asia, the US and UK. He’s a recovering social worker and former not-for-profit CEO and has now retired to an increasingly unreal world.
Now It’s Your Turn
Feel free to discuss either or both poems. The questions are here to help you interact with the poetry and with each other.
- What idea or was the author trying to get across?
- Who is the speaker and what is their perspective?
- What is the tone of the poem? (happy, sad, angry, perplexed)
- What figurative language did you enjoy? (metaphors, similes, personification, or other literary devices)
- How is the poem structured?
- How does the poem sound if you read it aloud? (Make us a recording, if you’d like. I’ll be happy to share it!)
Participation Plus
Many of our poetry friends are collaborating to have even more fun. Write a poem to answer the poems posted either on your post and include the link in the comment section, or write it directly into the comment.
*******
Attendance
- Blogging with JRP – one of my best IRL friends
- Carol Ann Taylor
- Esther Chilton
- Eúnoia
- Helping You to Succeed
- Jan Sikes
- Keep It Alive
- Myths of the Mirror
- Robbie’s Inspiration (author)
- Showers of Blessing
- Tidal Scribe
- Six Crooked Highways ( author)
- Unique Times with Cindy
- Writing Wrinkles
Two days to send in Micro Fiction : Winter Storms
Thanks, Esther for This Great Review
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Read it on Kindle or paperback today. Purchasing the Kindle version is ON SALE FOR $2.99, and Kindle Unlimited is free to you and provides credit to us for each page read. I love the paperback copies I ordered for friends. The paperback version is $14.99
Exciting Story Chat Volume II Video
I hope you enjoy the video. 24 views on this one. Help us reach our 100 viewers goal. It lasts one minute! 🙂
Story Chat Volume II Book Blog Tour Schedule
- Colleen Chesebro – November 24, 2024 (US) Thanks for reviewing on Amazon.
- Gloria – November 29 (UK)
- Robbie & Michael – November 30 (SA)
- Diana – December 1 (US)
- Doug – December 2 (AU) December 1 (US, UK, SA) Thanks for reviewing on Amazon.
- Cathy – December 4 (UK) Thanks for reviewing on Amazon.
- Amanda – December 9 (AU) December 8 (US, UK, SA)
- Dan– December 11 (US)
- Philip – December 14 (UK)
- Cindy Georgekas – December 16 (US)
- Esther Chilton – January 30 (UK ) Thanks for reviewing on Amazon.
- D. L. Finn – February 4 (US) Thanks for reviewing on Amazon.
- Yvette – February 5 (US) Thanks for reviewing on Amazon.
- Hugh – January 27 (UK)
Story Chat: Online Literary Conversations
Our video from Volume I is still up and getting views. My goal was 100 views, and we’re over that now! Yay!
Order Story Chat Volume I in paperback for only $12.99. Kindle version also on sale $2.99
Email me at alwayswrite01@gmail.com if you want to be part of this exciting tour or submit a story, poem, artwork, or original joke for Story Chat Digest 2025.
Follow me on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/tc_history_gal/
Lots of love to all! Hope you have a wonderful week.
Marsha Ingrao Always Write 
143 responses to “Story Chat Digest: Poetry Day”
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For us, that would equate somewhat to the breakdown of families. I think complicated lifestyles have caused some to want out of the system. Some families have the means to care for family members who opt out or have medical needs etc. others don’t, can’t or won’t. For some, family members are a danger. We hear about shootings frequently. A grandmother just shot her granddaughter, killing her in Phoenix. Another mistreated a teen with limited mental capacity and that girl died. Every case is different. Our society is messed up, to say the least
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The invisible repeat in Robbie’s poem was one that can’t be ignored and yet we do. I know it pulls at the heartstrings walking by people lying in alley, feeling helpless and like Nigel say for the grace of God, go I.
It’s a complex issue with family members living on the street and refusing housing so they can live “free”. It’s a complex topic and there are many layers to this. I know many friends who give money and yet it satisfies their own need of helping and I get that but does little to give them a hand up. It can be used for drugs or alcohol and I know in my family, gambling.
A hand up rather than a hand out like so many wonderful organizations provide is so compendable. I’m so grateful for the churches and all of the organizations that provide support and meals.
We just got our first needed rain and yet we are far from what we need. Doug’s poem really illustrates how dependent we are on our natural resources well captured in to words.
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What an inciteful comment, Cindy. Homelessness does seem to have different sources depending on the country. Robbie mentioned that most of theirs is poverty. I don’t think that is the entire case here in the US. You mentioned mental health issues, but the idea of living for free turns it into a bit of a game. Drugs and alcohol definitely play a part as well. Any habit, possibly even good ones, that causes you to divert money from necessities can be a culprit. I read a story a year ago or so about a Colorado mayor who helped so many homeless that he became homeless. He died on the streets.
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Thank you, Marsha. It’s a tragedy and one that truly needs to be addressed in all countries. No one should have to live on the street. For some it is choice for others the tragedy of not having the funding and yes different in different places. Oh my that is quite a tragic story Marsha. He had a big heart .. what a sad tale.
💕
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Hi Cindy, as Marsha has already recognised, homelessness in South Africa is different to in the USA. Homeless people here are victims of poverty and often teens who have escaped alcoholic and abusive homes. We have a 40% unemployment rate here and 2.2 million families live in squatter camps in makeshift housing with no water, electricity or ablutions. Many schools still have long drop toilets and have to make do with water tanks. Classrooms are not big enough and the kids take their lessons outside under trees. There is no stationary and few textbooks. A lot of money in terms of % of GDP is allocated to education in South Africa but there is a huge amount of corruption, so the money is misappropriated and doesn’t get to the intended recipients. I think it is a very different situation here than in Western countries as we have no facilities for homeless people outside of privately run soup kitchens and that sort of thing.
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Hi Robbie,
Yes, indeed it totally is different and it’s good to be educated on how the differences are. It’s crushing and devastating either way. All help is important and please know I am not meaning to judge in a negative way but experience in my own backyard that isn’t easy to witness. Programs are essential and needed and I am so grateful for those that help. No one should be subjected to this; “A lot of money in terms of % of GDP is allocated to education in South Africa but there is a huge amount of corruption, so the money is misappropriated and doesn’t get to the intended recipients.”
Your poem was powerful!
❤️
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I think there is a natural fear involved. When I talked to the man in Scottsdale, I wanted to help him. I had nothing. I was out walking with only my phone. I lived close but was there alone. Vince was panicked when I told him. We lived in our place part time, and with no security, he could have figured out the code to get in the door and squatted if I’d let him come shower or something. That happens a lot in snowbird communities. Once someone occupies a home, it is legally hard to get them out even though it is your home. A home is an expensive donation. LOL even if you open your home to a relative, which we will have to do when we move back to CA, you give up a lot financially and in terms of peace of mind. But that is part of what it means to be family. The tribal groups that provide support for their members are taking on those issues with their tribe members.
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Vince sounds like my husband. Recently, a woman down the street reported 6 people masked an armed in front of her house. There was a robbery a month before behind her house. I just met her and offered if she wanted to move in for the night, “we” would be happy to have her. My hubs freaked out when we heard stories that some of this was fictitious. I called the sheriff and most of it checked out but stories were floating around about how she was a wack job. She is a single mom and i’d have been freaked out as well.
Back to your story though, you’re right, one never knows what could happen and the laws shure arent there for protection. ” A home is an expensive donation. LOL ” 😂
You’re better than i would be, NO family members are moving in with me. Sure enough, I’d go homeless and I’m not kidding. I’ve had to call the police on mine in times past. 🥹
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I’m laughing at the picture of you and your hubs. You don’t have a self-protective bone in your body, no matter what you say about your family. I’ve never had to call the police, fortunately. My brother got in trouble at school once, and my mom threatened to take him to the youth detention home nearby. I freaked. I cornered him and convinced him that she was serious, and he’d better get himself straightened out. He did.
I don’t have many family members, but many of them have lived with me, or I’ve made donations so they could make it on their own, or both. My grandparents helped us out a lot after my parents split up. So it’s been payback time since then, I think. 🙂
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I know right… you either and maybe that’s why we have protective husbands. 🥹!
That is too funny. so your brother learned, don’t mess with Marsha. lol!
Someone got me Ancestry DNA for my birthday one year and every time I get the message we have someone that you are related to I don’t open it. I’m like I have enough crazies in my fam, I don’t need one more. 😂 Well, I’m glad it works for you to live with you which is awesome! 👏
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Did I say living with family members works for me? Wash my mouth out with soap. It doesn’t work very well. I’ve just done it in emergencies for no more than a few months at a time. I go bonkers when I have someone else living with me. 🙂 Yes, Randy learned, don’t mess with either of us, then he married a woman just like us who ruled over him with an iron fist. He’s got his life back for the first time EVER and he’s 71. LOL I hope he gets a few years of freedom. 🙂 xxx
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Sadly, many people suffer due to poor government ethics. Corruption is huge in developing countries. I did lot of research into this when I wrote 7 publications on investing in Africa. I also looked at other developing and transitional economies.
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Corruption is huge in developed countries as well, Robbie. I know that even without a lot of research, just watching the news. LOL
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Yes, it is. We laugh here though and say that in the UK if a company is tasked with building 10 houses for the government, they will build 9 and steal 1. In SA, if a company is tasked with building 10 houses for the government, they will steal them all.
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OMG, seriously? What do they do with them?
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That’s a huge unemployment rate, Robbie! I vote you for President!
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Well, I could only do better – haha!
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President of the World, maybe! I think you could do better. 🙂
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Thank you, Marsha. Hugs
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Sorry to be late for the party, Robbie, but as others have pointed out, the repetition of ‘invisible’ is a powerful tool. When the numbers are small, most people are charitable. When the numbers reach epidemic proportions, the individual feels helpless. Governments whose responses belie their claimed Christianity are the ones who make my blood boil.
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Hi Carol, I imagine that homeless people are fairly prevalent where you live. It is a huge problem in South Africa, especially in the cities. Government provides little assistance to these people. Most help comes from churches and other private non profit organizations I give to organizations and also purchase food as you have described. The volumes are disheartening.
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What do you see as the heart of the problem, Robbie? Is it the cost of housing, lack of employment, poor family and social relationships, mental health, or something I haven’t thought of? If the government were involved, what would be the most helpful thing or steps they could do to alleviate the problem? What would you petition them for?
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Both Robbie’s and Doug’s poems are well-written. They address situations I’ve observed.
Invisible by Robbie Cheadle is the best of her poems. The invisible man with a worn sleeping bag; the invisible woman with her invisible child and an empty polystyrene cup; and the invisible people standing outside the soup kitchen are vivid and powerful depictions of the plight of homelessness. Homelessness is a complex issue for the people experiencing it and society as a whole. Poverty, mental problems, domestic violence, and drug abuse are among a list of causes. Which issues caused the invisible man and invisible woman in this poem to become homeless? We don’t know because they have no names and no faces to us. There are 650,000 homeless people in the US. Some states are better than others in helping them.
I appreciate the last stanza in Robbie’s poem when the homeless people get some hot soup from the soup kitchen to fill their empty stomachs. The volunteers find joy in helping these folks. As individuals, in addition to dropping a dollar or coins in the polystyrene cup, we can donate toilet tissues, toothbrushes, toothpaste, female panty liners, and infant and toddler supplies at the homeless shelters to distribute to the homeless individuals.
A Billion Weet-bix* by Doug Jacquier is a cheerful poem. It’s not hard to imagine the farmers’ disappointments and worries during the drought. They’re helpless to watch the seedlings die and become dust. I could visualize the farmers jumping for joy and wiping their tears to see the raindrops fall when the drought is broken. The rain resulted in a year of reaping grains enough for a billion Wee-bix.
My husband and I visited Australia one year during the drought. Our relatives told us they were not allowed to water their lawns. We also encountered a drought when we lived in California. There was a limited way and time to water the lawn. We were told to let our lawn be golden in a Golden State.
Doug’s poem effectively shares the joy of ending the drought and the bountiful harvest.
Thank you, Marsha, for featuring these poets.
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Thank you for the detailed comment, Miriam. We are in Visalia right now, and there is no watering allowed between December and February. We’ve had a couple of days of rain, so the grass isn’t all golden, but some are in places depending on the type of grass planted. I think Goldie is watering some of ours. We have several deep green spots in the yard.
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🌞🌸
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Hi Miriam, thank you for your thoughtful comments and deep understanding of the intentions in this poem. It is appreciated 💓
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You’re welcome, Robbie. I helped in the soup kitchen once. 😍
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That’s a lot of work. One of our pastor friends did that for quite a while. I can’t imagine cooking for crowds of 100-300 people every week.
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Many thanks for your comments, Miriam. I ditched my lawns and turned them into veg beds. 🙂
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It’s a very creative way of doing it.
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Sounds like a certain character of yours! 🙂
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You know too much. 🙂
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LOL
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I follow Robbie and Doug and can relate, humbly to both excellent poems. Anyone in towns and cities will have seen the homeless. During Covid lockdown there was an initiative ‘everyone in’ proving councils and governments can do something. Buy the Big Issue and as well as interesting articles on the arts, politics etc, some of the issue delves into the lives of the homeless and one thing they all say is they feel invisible. Don’t give up on carrying real cash, have some lose change just in case you feel like stopping and talking to someone invisible.
I had a friend studying in Perth, Western Australia and went a few times to stay on her farm. Another friend who had never left Perth said ‘I don’t know why they have to have powdered milk, why don’t they keep a house cow.’ Their land was so arid I couldn’t see what their sheep ate let alone what a cow could exist on! A farmer could own vast swathes of land, but if it doesn’t rain it is worthless.
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Hi Janet, your comment certainly resonates with me. It is easy to judge people when you don’t know anything about them or their specific circumstances. Thank you for your lovely comments.
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Hi, Janet. Your description of farming on marginal country is spot on and most city folk don’t seem to know where their food comes from. Regards, Doug
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That is true worldwide, Doug. Food comes from the grocery! 🙂
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So true Doug and I seem to recall from my limited understanding of economics at school that the basis of any economy is the production of food, the one thing we all need.
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True that! Food, clothing and shelter, as I remember. Probably in that order, too.
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I enjoyed both the poems. Robbie’s poem, ‘Invisible’ highlights the sad truth of today’s society. The mendicant man, woman or child are made invisible by those who are better off because they are perceived as a ‘nuisance’. The repetition of the word ‘invisible’ and phrases, ‘invisible hand’ and ‘invisible eyes’ in the first two stanzas drives the point home. We try avoiding their eyes and walk past their hands extended for help. I like the straightforwardness of the poem and the powerful message it packs.
Doug’s poem is one of joy and contentment – words like ‘harvest’, ‘rain’, ‘family swathed in grins.’ I enjoyed the personification ‘groaning bins’, ‘waving fields’, ‘greedy maw’ and the metaphor ‘crops of dust’. It brought to mind a dusty field thirsty for rain. The contrasting images in the second and fourth stanza of the poem beautifully depicts paucity and abundance – ‘ brown-baked Western plains’ and ‘wheat-caked farmer.’
Thank you, Marsha, for sharing two lovely poems that create such vivid images in the mind of the reader.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them both, Smitha. I love your analysis of both poems. Robbie’s word, “invisible” packs a huge punch. I love that you picked out the impactful words in both poems
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Hi Smitha, thank you for your thoughtful comments. I’m pleased you related to this poem.
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Thank you, Smitha, for your appreciation of the imagery. Always good to know when you’ve nailed it.
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Two very contrasting poems. Robbie’s poem reminds me of nights walking the streets of London checking up on street dwellers. My overriding feeling at the time, and remains, there but for the grace of God. They’re only invisible because we choose not to see them.
Doug did a great job with his piece. The pace of life, the ceaseless toil, the reward..but also the dependency on the mercy of nature..or her favor. The rhythm and rhyme took one along on a ride.
Both pieces remind me that we are truly dependent on each other. And we are all at the mercy of nature.
Thank you Robbie and Doug for sharing your creativity with Story Chat.
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Thanks so much for your in-depth comments, Nigel. I agree with your statement, “but for the grace of God.”
The poems on Story Chat are going to be very different from each other. Some will be humorous, and others very serious and deep like the ones today. There are no rules for poetry other than family friendly. The responses that our first two poems are receiving are thoughtful.
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It was my pleasure, Marsha. And thank you for sharing these talented writers with us.
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My pleasure, Nigel!
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💝
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Hi Nigel, that is the exact point of the poem. They are invisible because we as a collective make that choice 💓
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And It was a very well written poem, Robbie. I appreciate you highlighting their plight. I don’t think anyone chooses to be in that situation.
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No, I don’t think so
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You have a good heart, Robbie. Btw…did the young man enjoy his birthday?
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He is at school today but is having a get together with friends on Saturday.
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😊 good stuff
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Thank you for your appreciation of the rhythm, Bynigel.
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I could be a ballad!
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You’re welcome
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The poem by Robbie is so evocative and heartbreaking. Her use of the word invisible just cuts through the heart. Our society has indeed become oblivious to the pain of those suffering.
While Doug’s poem is showing a positive event after the Covid pandemic. A poem of hope and joy.
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Yes, Robbie’s poem is very evocative and heartbreaking. I am very guilty of viewing them as invisible, which doesn’t mean that I don’t see them. I just don’t help often enough. My husband is much better at going into a fast food place and getting them lunch or something.
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Sometimes we avoid them because they often are professional beggars ( at least here they are)! I try to give to good charities who have a reputation of helping people.
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That’s what we do, too. It is a cleaner way to do it, and you don’t feel the emotional impact.
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Very true Marsha.
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Hi Sadje, I also do this 🌸💖
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It’s a safer way to help people. Thanks
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Hi Sadje, thank you for your thoughtful feedback.
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Your poem is absolutely gripping. I loved it
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🩵🦋
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🥰
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What an absolute please to read these poems.
Robbie’s poem first:
I absolutely loved this poem, everything about it. The repeat of the word “invisible” was a drumbeat, a command to see the invisible, to pound the reality of so many people’s lives into our minds. The truth of the matter is that in our culture these souls are completely invisible. They don’t matter at all and if they perish, no one would notice. The small details about the sleeping bag, the cup, the soup line were things we’ve all seen, and walked past, as if we didn’t see them. An exceptional poem.
Now Doug’s poem:
The structure and rhyme of this one appealed to me. It had the feeling of old folk poems from an earlier times when the farm folk were so worldly wise compared to the city slickers. It sang of the decency of laboring with ones hands on the land and satisfaction of growing food. The rhythm has a merry lilt and perfect display of Australian accent that suited it perfectly. Left me with a smile.
Thanks Marsha for a super fun post with two clearly talented poets.
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Oh, Marsha. Please forgive the typos!
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I am the queen of typos! 🙂 xxx
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for your detailed comments. There is a lot to talk about in both of them. Robbie’s pierces my heart the more I read it and think about my reactions to people on the street trying to get attention at street corners where you are stopped at a red light. I rarely walk by people, but when I do, I might talk to them, but I rarely have cash or I’m in a hurry. One woman wrote in and talked about organizations making hot chocolate runs in the nights during the Christmas season. I think it takes a concerted effort to help. so if you have the heart for it, it’s good to have company while you meet needs.
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The holidays seem like times when the homeless become briefly visible, but then they fade away again. What’s really needed is intense services and an investment that only government can supply. Housing, health and mental health services, education, childcare, transportation, and jobs. I used to work with families on the brink of homelessness, and it’s almost impossible to beat the odds without massive support. Then the rest of us can supply friendship, kindness, and the loving support of community, also critical to success.
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I agree, it takes government intervention to make help accessible to all. However, even with government assistance, not all people choose to live in a home. The man I interviewed was one of them, and was one of my friend’s mother. I believe she is still homeless out of choice. Kind of like the mother in the book, The Glass Castle. That said, it doesn’t relieve us (our government) from providing.
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Sigh. I don’t think the US government has any plans to help anyone.
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Probably not right now. I know several church groups that work on it. Some cities will most likely do what they can.
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Homelessness is not a choice in South Africa.
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It’s not a choice for most people, I’m sure. I didn’t mean to sound insensitive.
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💔
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Thank you, Diana, what you read into my poem was exactly what I intended so I am very happy.
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It’s a stunning poem, Robbie. ❤
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Thank you, Diana
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Thank you, Diana, for your comments. This piece has been sitting idle from the time when I wrote it to enter a bush poetry competition. For some inexplicable reason it didn’t win. 🙂
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Both these poems touched a chord with me and yes homelessness is worldwide here though what touches me is the fact that the homeless where I live may sleep on the streets however stall holders, the people who come out of the shops buy an extra drink or some food and hand it to those less fortunate and that in part makes me happy…the link I have attached is about a charity that was very close to my heart when I lived in the UK and one I actively supported every Friday…
I also believe that if food waste was properly addressed globally hunger would not exist …Homelessness is another matter…
https://carolcooks2.com/2016/09/23/life-in-a-cardboard-box-the-chocolate-run/
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Beautiful comment, Carol. We have a wonderful Food Bank in the small town of Woodlake where I was a part of Kiwanis. They get so much food to give away, and much of it is fresh. Several organizations and large food chains support it. It is heartwarming.
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Absolutely “The Chocolate Run” used to get donations of sandwiches etc for our Friday run into London and donated to us good food that would have been thrown away although I believe now in some places stores are obliged to donate food instead of throwing it away x
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They must be. That’s a total switch from how it used to be 20 years ago.
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Hi Carol, I don’t know what I did but my comment disappeared. We have a huge homeless problem in our cities. There are millions of people living in shanty towns. It is heartbreaking. I’m pleased you appreciate this poem.
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Thats so sad, Robbie…I wasn’t sure of the figures here and they seem quite low to me(if Accurate) thats quite good …In 2023, there were around 2,499 homeless people in Thailand, with 1,217 of those in Bangkok. However, the number of homeless people in Thailand varies depending on the source and year of the data…it does seem there are schemes in place to help with the problem…
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South Africa has c 200,000 homeless people and that excludes the shanty town dwellers. There are c 2.2 million households ( not individuals) living in squatter camps.
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Jeez thats off the charts, Robbie…how terrible!
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Yes, it is like this throughout southern Africa except for Botswana which is better but has a tiny population
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Wow! Google says the population of South Africa is 60.41 million, 10 million less than Thailand, which has a homeless population of 2,500. That is an incredible difference. Of course, Google doesn’t quote the figures you have, but says that their figures might be much higher, which yours are. At any rate, it is out of control! In the United States the homeless population is 771,480 out of 340 million people in 2024.
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It sounds like mental health issues and drugs are responsible for some of the US problem, Marsha.
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That’s what I understand. It’s a complex issue here. Of course the US is huge and it differs from state to state. When we visited Hawaii, we learned that cold weather states like Colorado sometimes fly their homeless to Hawaii. Then that state has to pay to fly them back. It’s like Texas and Florida flying or bussing their immigrants to sanctuary cities in northern states. Communities can’t handle the overload.
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I understand that completely. The overload is what’s causing so much trouble currently.
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Yes, it is here too. 🙂 xxx
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I know.
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Wow, that is a low number considering that the population in 2023 was 71.8 million!
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Yes..I;m guessing that the shanty towns around Bangkok are not included in those figures Thais are very precise with wording and my guess is because they have a roof over their head they technically are not homeless!
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aha! That makes more sense. I would think they would need an address to be considered homed. 🙂 xxx
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It is the same in SA. The statistics are manipulated and, as I mentioned, there are 2.2 million families living in squatter camps and they are not considered to be homeless.
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Your term “shanty towns” reminded me of a time long ago. In the 1930s during the Dust Bowl in the United States, a huge drought and over-cultivation caused extreme devastation of soil. Millions of people left everything but what they could carry in their cars, and moved West. They lived in shanty towns, tents along the streets. Residents were inundated. This homeless time is much less explainable, and therefore more troubling. Interestingly, the influx of people changed the culture of the communities so much that the effects are still noticeable today almost 100 years later.
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Yes, I can believe that. I have read about this in Grapes of Wrath among other books.
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The government housing they built then still exists in Visalia.
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That is good to know.
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Interesting, very run down and old fashioned looking – tiny.
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Hi Marsha, thank you for sharing this poem. I think it’s one of my best ever. I am proud to feature with Doug, a great writer. The first stanza of Doug’s poem really sets the reader up as it demonstrates the huge difference between life for city dwellers who sit in offices surrounded by other buildings, and farmers who are dependent on the land. It was a brilliant start. In South Africa, we also have terrible droughts so this poem is hugely relatable. I enjoyed that Doug wrote about its breaking and the joy that brings 💝
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We have huge agribusiness in California where we are now, and yes, droughts are constantly a problem. We have forest fires all summer, usually not in the winter until this year.
Your poem is really touching hearts. Mine is pricked to the core because I am so guilty. Like I told Diana, I rarely come across homeless when I am walking. I remember my first experience in Los Angeles at about 6:00 am when they were just waking up. It shocked me. One store owner was out trying to clean up, while one woman was emptying urine into the street.
I don’t think this is something that you can deal with one at a time with little bits of charity. I think we need to donate chunks of time to work with people to gather food or other items, to support organizations that provide housing and mental health support. We might feel good about giving a dollar or two, but it doesn’t help them in the long run. But neither does ignoring them. Thank you for writing this exceptional poem.
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Thank you, Marsha. In South Africa this is also an overwhelming problem. I keep tins of food in my car to distribute to desperate people. 💔
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WOW! That’s impressive. What do you keep cans of mostly?
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Many thanks, Robbie. Your comments mean a lot coming from such a gifted writer.
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🤗💖
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Wowzer, I’m not big on poetry, but this really got my attention, appreciation.
Xox
>
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You should share the poem with Raylene. I know she would appreciate it as well. Robbie is a very dear friend of mine for several years. She lives in South Africa and has opened many eyes, including mine about major issues and benefits they have living there. She is also a talented artist. One of her stories is featured in the Story Chat book. Her drawings of African animals are astounding, and she has several books with pictures and poems about the animals. You would go ape over them! 🙂 xxx Thanks for your comment, Monica. Lots of love.
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Thank you, Marsha 🤗💗
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Raylene is a friend of my friend Monica who does extensive work with the homeless in Visalia. This is a moving poem. It might be a centerpiece in homeless shelters or non-profits like our Visalia Rescue Mission.
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🙏💞
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Another great initiative, Marsha.
A sad poem from Robbie about those people we pass by in shopping centres. Life must be even harder for those relying on handouts now card transactions are the norm and most shoppers carry little cash. (At least that’s the case here, in the UK.) The repetition of ‘invisible’ pushes home the poem’s message, even in the final, more cheerful verse.
Doug’s verses paint a vivid picture of hope at a time when there must have seemed little to be hopeful about. The rhyme and rhythm give a lilting feel to the poem, like those field song that were sung in the days of less machinated harvesting.
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Thank you, Cathy. I’m glad this poem resonates with you.
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Thank you, Cathy. I’m blessed with wonderful authors like all of you.
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Many thanks, Cathy. This one of my rare pieces where rhythm and rhyme mattered, to be true to the country.
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Both poems are so expressive and well written. Robbie’s struck a chord with me. My heart breaks for the homeless. They are the invisible, forgotten ones. Thank you, Marsha!
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Thank you, Jan. This problem is enormous in my city. It is heart breaking and they are not invisible to me.
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Robbie, no one is invisible to you. You must not sleep.
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No, I am an empath and its not always easy
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That’s interesting. I’m sure I’m not. I miss the obvious quite often. Hit me with a sledge hammer!
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Maybe that is better. I always take on far to much – this is according to my mother. She says its going to kill me.
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Something is going to kill you for sure. Hopefully not before the next 40-50 years or so.
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I would like to live as long as I have reasonable health.
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Amen to that idea. It’s like homelessness. No one starts life aspiring to be either homeless or bedridden.
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Two very different poems in terms of style and message. Robbie’s really struck a chord with me. I’ve seen many homeless people on the streets and they really do seem invisible to passersby. It’s very well-written and stays with the reader for some time. Doug’s is thought-provoking and I read it several times, taking more meaning from it with each reading. That last line is so profound.
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Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Now I need to go back and reread the last line! It is amazing that homelessness is pervasive world-wide. It must be more than just a housing crisis. They do capture our attention and we go out of our way to pretend we don’t see them, but we do, and we shiver. We can’t solve their problems alone, so we walk on. We can give money, but we know that doesn’t solve their problems. I interviewed a homeless man and shared it on my blog. He is one of millions, but it opened my eyes. He quit work because he couldn’t stand his boss. He left his girlfriend for about the same reason. He got disability payments, and he carried a broom to sweep off the areas where he slept. I wish we could solve the problems they have.
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I think in the USA, homelessness is partly due to drug usage and mental health issues. In South Africa it is always poverty related.
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Wow, Robbie, this conversation is immense. I am not a student of African history, but I’m sure it plays into this scenario in a big way. I know that many of the people were tribal, and probably doing okay – surviving well at what my cultural heritage would consider a subsistence level. Now it takes an education, and a high income to have shelter and buy food in the communities that exist today. Our lifestyles are not conducive to living on low incomes. My grandparents lived well and had a much lower level of education than I have, but their homes were tiny compared to today’s homes. My grandfather operated a successful business for which he didn’t need a lot of education or have many regulations to perform. That lifestyle doesn’t exist now in many places.
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Thank you, Esther. I appreciate you comment.
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*your
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Many thanks for your comments, Esther, and for the several reads. That always makes a writer’s heart sing.
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Indeed it does!
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