Dirt, rubble, hunger,

dead weeds, broken glass

broken dreams.

The smell of carbon dioxide pollutes the streets

and fills the lungs of young and old and

their empty stomachs

greedy businessmen,

dressed in their rich stuffy suits

and so-called red power ties

replace purity with

carbon dioxide.

Once every two months an old battered truck

with broken headlights travels two-thousand miles

covered in graffiti and rust,

sputters black exhaust, transports stale air and

overpriced iceberg lettuce, an illusion of fresh vegetables

that’s tinted green and crumbles like fool’s gold.

There’s a fork in the road,

to the right are 50 grocery stores

and pockets overflowing with dollar bills;

to the left,

one shabby grocery

twenty-five fast food joints

and empty pockets.

Dirt, rubble, hunger,

dead weeds, broken glass,

broken dreams.

Like the pieces of glass

reflect what little sunlight they receive

I reflect, confess:

we have to address the cliché phrase

‘seeds of hope’,

we need a seed of action

that sprouts from the soul of an individual,

to awaken from its slumber

that the powerful rich men suppress in darkness!

Sunlight

Shovel

Action!

Fifty shovels, twenty women, twenty men, ten children

march on that vacant lot to dig,

clearing away the

dirt rubble hunger dead weeds

broken glass broken dreams!

Now united as one

a fresh beginning

the farm beats strong

pumping fresh oxygen

to young and old;

dancing into the lungs of

the seed-planter,

the tiller of action and justice,

the sunflower that grew from dirt.

because the sun will shine again,

soon the wicker baskets will

be overflowing with nutritious vegetables

to feed the empty stomachs.

Seeds of action must sprout and sprout again

popping up in states across the country.

We look

up

up

and

down deep into the earth

hands cupped with fresh soil

breathing in the life, purpose

the soil in our hands pulses with joy and

purpose to fight the good fight.

All it takes is

one seed of action

to sprout from its dormant state

to set off a chain reaction.

Down with the dirt rubble hunger

dead weeds broken glass

broken dreams!

With this seed of action

fertilized with love and faith and justice

and the community’s support

sowed in a bed of action

that’s where it’s at

action action

action!