Poetry x Hunger: Grow. Nourish. Sustain. Together.

By Methany Eltigani, Washington, DC
2nd place winner of the 2020 World Food Day Poetry Competition
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Grow
We mention food deserts as if nothing can grow there
Like we cannot plant seeds to water and sow there
I find it hard to believe when there’s plenty to spare
That there are still those of us whose cabinets are bare
Is it that we don’t care? Is humanity so rare?
What stops us from building gardens everywhere
For all to eat and be merry with plenty to share?
Nourish
We nourish ourselves with the food on our plate
But for some there’s never enough to satiate
To flourish and grow, to live and create
We must be free from hunger and pain
If we all work together, this pain can abate
In a world free of hunger that we cultivate
While so many suffer, there’s no time to wait
Sustain
Making change is one thing, but we must make it last
That means no one left out, not one outcast
If our actions are our future, we must learn from our past
And answer all the questions that were too hard to ask
Where have we failed, how can we surpass
All that I know is we have to act fast
To make food insecurity a thing of past
Together
If divided we fall and united we stand
Then we all must learn to lend a hand
It’s true that some problems are far too grand
To ever be conquered by just one man
But hunger is solvable if we’re all in on the plan
Just by joining together, our reach will expand
And touch every corner of every land

Methany Eltigani is a recent alum of the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship and is currently pursuing a Master's in Public Health Nutrition from NYU. Methany completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania with majors in Nutrition and Sociology. Her passions for increasing access to quality food and eliminating food insecurity come from personal experience and a commitment to equity and justice.”