Little Mbuto Smiles Poem by Ted L Glines

Little Mbuto Smiles
by Ted L Glines

Heartbreaking ads on TV CABLE
little black kids
feeble skin and bones
flies upon their eyes,
'Give as much as you can.
Five dollars feeds a child
for a year. Give now!
An operator is standing by.'

See the AID station
in Uganda,
Kenya or Sudan,
bright new building
bright new white Land Rover
which passes by the sick and dying,
'No time for you today! '
No money...

AID money comes to Kenya,
stopsin pockets
of Kenya politicians
only passing enough
to build the building
buy the white Land Rover
funding new and better
heartbreaking ads...
and an operator is always
standing by...

In your hand
hold the photo
which was sent to you,
little Mbuto, happy fat and smiling,
and you feel good
because you helped
(his father, the President of Hell) ,
and you write another
check.

Bless you


Author's Notes: This poem was inspired by Paul Theroux's book entitled 'Dark Star Safari, ' a must read for all those who would throw money at third world problems.