The Unseen Portugal Poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

There are many poor people in Portugal, thousands
of people need on food banks to survive.
Some schools keep open even when closed only so
children can get a warm meal a day.
There is great austerity in Portugal hidden away in
corners the tourist industry never reaches.
The poor live on rice- if they can afford gas to cook it-
but mostly they eat canned food and corn flakes.
Many Portuguese live in houses without sanitation, in
narrow streets many visitors will call picturesque.
Yet on TV cookery programs are running wild, where
chefs show viewers how to cook the best cut of meat.
They tell you about the rich healthy food and where
to buy those appetizing dishes and great wines.
These programs are a display of opulence, a travesty
of reality when there is so much hunger in the land of
historic cities, sunny summers and sandy beaches.