A World That Doesnt Care

War bombs may explode demolishing man and land.
Hurricanes may devastate and leave us entirely bare.
Earthquakes may devour and swallow up old landmarks.
But nothing is as destructive as a world that doesn't care.

Smog may be an atrocious bother in our daily living.
We all suffer significantly from pollution in the air.
Intoxicants may be debilitating to those who will imbibe.
But nothing is as troublesome as a world that doesn't care.

Embezzlers may run off with money not their own.
A spouse may engage in an extra-marital affair.
Some folks may be malicious, evil, mean and rude.
But nothing is as tragic as a world that doesn't care.

The rich may all get richer as the poor languish behind.
The aged may find their last days are lived in solitaire.
The young may be lost in a confusing world maze.
But nothing is as dreadful as a world that doesn't care.

Diabetes may be incurable and challenge the appetite.
Cancer may be ubiquitous, creating turmoil and despair.
Kidneys may suddenly fail and require dialysis.
But nothing is as fatal as a world that doesn't care.

Our world has many problems for solutions to be found.
Great trials and tribulations on mankind can overbear.
But hope remains alive however small the sparks may be,
If the world does not let leave of its capacity to care.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries, http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow, Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances, Homilies that Teach.

Poetry contest winners are fine specimens of insincerity Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY - 19 hours ago Young people, fourth-graders to be exact, have emerged as the stars of the first-ever Connections Contrition poetry contest. The first-place winner, ...

Fairfax poet's original voice draws notice and highest honors San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - Jul 18, 2008 Wit and understatement - applied to the quiddities of daily living - are key to Ryan's poetry, which has earned many honors, including, in 2004, ...

Lesbian Takes Poet Laureate Post EDGE Boston, MA - Jul 18, 2008 Poetry, said Ryan, "was in a strange way taking over my mind. My mind was on its own finding things and rhyming things." The article also quoted the NEA’s ...

Poet Kay Ryan is named poet laureate International Herald Tribune, France - Jul 16, 2008 The Library of Congress announced Thursday that the lifelong Californian, whose compressed, metaphysical poetry has been compared to Emily Dickinson's, ...

Washington Post

Nancy Galbraith; Led Center For Poetry Washington Post, United States - Jul 18, 2008 Nancy Burdick Galbraith, 79, retired head of the Poetry and Literature Center at the Library of Congress, died July 7 of complications from emphysema at an ...

Literary post for SJ native San Jose Mercury News,  USA - Jul 17, 2008 Still, her father, whom she has described as a dreamer, was a catalyst for her poetry. After he died of a sudden heart attack when she was 19, ...

New York Times

Kay Ryan, Outsider With Sly Style, Named Poet Laureate New York Times, United States - Jul 16, 2008 By PATRICIA COHEN When Kay Ryan was a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, the poetry club rejected her application; she was perhaps too ...

Spike in sales for next poet laureate The Associated Press - Jul 17, 2008 Her collections "The Niagara River," "Say Uncle" and "Elephant Rocks" hold the top three spaces on Amazon.com's list of best-selling poetry books, ...

Nick Laid on merging science with poetry guardian.co.uk, UK - Jul 18, 2008 He was pairing up poets with astronomers in the hopes that new poetry would result, and my counterpart was Paul Murdin, the treasurer of the Royal ...

Lumley attacks 'obscure' new poetry The Observer, UK - 3 hours ago Instead, the Absolutely Fabulous star has caused controversy by publishing views on modern poetry that have offended some of Britain's best-known writers. ...