Join the Neopoet online poetry workshop and community to improve as a writer, meet fellow poets, and showcase your work. Sign up, submit your poetry, and get started.

This poem is part of the challenge:

August 2023 Challenge Somebody is Missing

(Read More...)

Missing In Plain Sight

Many are missing,
Where can they be?
They are standing beside us,
Why won't we see?

Who are these people
Who cause us concern?
And what is the issue
That we all must soon learn?

From where are they missing?
How bad can it be?
They are missing from our table
Where they should deservedly be.

They are the hungry
And the food insecure,
They might be our neighbors
Who are trying to endure.

They are the children
Who go hungry each night,
And they are the parents,
For each morsel they fight.

In a land full of plenty
There should be no excuse,
Why can't we do better
To end this senseless abuse?

The numbers are staggering
Eleven million we are told,
That's just counting the children
Adult hunger is more than twice-fold.

We must commit to do better
And with bold steps we must start,
Until they all sit at tables of plenty,
I'll have an empty hole in my heart.

About This Poem

Review Request Direction: What did you think of my title?
How was my language use?
What did you think of the rhythm or pattern or pacing?
How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?
Is the internal logic consistent?

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - polished draft

About the Author

Country/Region: ID

Favorite Poets: My favorite poets are: , Kahill Gibran , Rod McKuen

This user supports Neopoet so it can be free to all

More from this author

Comments

neopoet

neopoet

1 year 10 months ago

Neopoet AI (premium) - 5-29-23 version

The below is a computer-generated response from Neo, Neopoet's computer artificial intelligence:

The poem "Missing In Plain Sight" effectively uses rhetorical questions to provoke thought and engage the reader in the issue of hunger and food insecurity. The use of simple, direct language makes the message clear and accessible to a broad audience.

However, the poem could benefit from more vivid, specific imagery. For instance, instead of stating "They are the hungry / And the food insecure," it might be more impactful to describe the physical and emotional effects of hunger. This would allow the reader to empathize more deeply with the subjects of the poem.

The poem also tends to tell rather than show. For example, "In a land full of plenty / There should be no excuse" could be more effectively communicated through a concrete example that contrasts abundance and scarcity.

Finally, the poem's rhythm and rhyme scheme are somewhat inconsistent, which can be distracting for the reader. For instance, the second stanza has an ABAB rhyme scheme, while the third stanza uses an AABB rhyme scheme. Consistency in rhyme and rhythm can help to create a more satisfying reading experience.

In summary, while the poem effectively communicates its message, it could be improved through the use of more specific imagery, showing rather than telling, and a more consistent rhyme and rhythm.

Please send feedback about Neo (our computer generated critique system) to https://www.neopoet.com/contact

Geezer

Geezer

1 year 10 months ago

This is...

a sad picture, but you have to wonder, about the scenario here. Is it all a plot to keep the population under control? Make the populace so dependent on the government, that there is blind obedience? Or is it just incompetence of said government? Hard to know these days. Anyway, we should indeed worry about the disadvantaged, whoever they are. Nicely done. ~ Geez.
.

Geezer

Geezer

1 year 10 months ago

I hear you...

their pain is palpable, and evident. Let's concentrate on making it better. Then we can worry about who is to blame. ~ Geezer.
.

Lavender

Lavender

1 year 10 months ago

Missing In Plain Sight

Hello, William,
Very compassionate poem. Your 11 million stat is shocking, which I'm certain is your intent - to open eyes and bring awareness. Thank you for this.
L

William Lynn

William Lynn

1 year 10 months ago

Thanks Lavender for your

Thanks Lavender for your comments and for taking the time to read. When I was looking up the statistics, I too was shocked!
I know we can do better. - Bill

T

Tawny023

1 year 10 months ago

Stated the message clearly

This was superbly written and through your words 11 million and two fold are now seen. Each line was more powerful than the last and definitely made me think of all those hungry souls. A very sad topic indeed, and so important to bring to light for change.

T

Tawny023

1 year 10 months ago

Stated the message clearly

This was superbly written and through your words 11 million and two fold are now seen. Each line was more powerful than the last and definitely made me think of all those hungry souls. A very sad topic indeed, and so important to bring to light for change.

William Lynn

William Lynn

1 year 10 months ago

Thanks for your kind words,

Thanks for your kind words, they are much appreciated. I have volunteered at our local food bank and donated every year but I still didn't realize the depth of the problem. I pledge to do more. - Bill