A Promise to eradicate Illiteracy

The dark veil of flowing illiteracy,

As a canopy on our growing democracy;

Covers many crores of our great lot,
Under which teeming with ignorance, rot.

Unaware of the goings on around,

Stark illiteracy with poverty bound;

The window of the wide world is shut,

And the kaleidoscopic view of the panorama is cut.

The spiritual and intellectual devolpment,

Not sparked off by literary involvement,

Is a curse on the person and the nation,

As multitudes live like animals sans education.

Seized of the problem, in many a country,

UNESCO launched a war on illiteracy;

Allocating funds, the malady to cure,

With India taking the cudgel, very sure.

To kindle the dawn of consciousness,

Of the need of literacy’s importance;

A programme of National Adult Education,

Is on the anvil with much ovation.

Of all the state birds flying in thirst,

Kerala’s bird has landed first;

With Ernakulam carrying the flag high,

Inducing others their flight to stage by!

Let us scouts now make out a promise,

A multi-pronged attack without a miss-

To launch on ‘illiteracy’-the monster dreadful,

With a spirit of commitment and hearts so full.

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It’s the 21st century

The media displays it day and night,

Poverty.

Poverty across the globe lies

Poverty cries out from the belly of little boys

Little girls, parents too

Desperately searching for food,

Shelter, clothing, for love,

Companion, for attention

Those with plenty, refuse
To amend, a world haunted by

Poverty.

Is poverty affecting the rich?

Are their poverty the same

As the poor in financial constrains?

For they, too, poverty of love
I see poverty in the learned
I see poverty in those whose

Selfish acts are destroying society.

I see poverty in all level of humanity

The world is still an imperfect place

Yet life is still beautiful, the wind

Blows, we see it not, give thanks

For what you possess, now go,

Help if you can along the way,

Help to eradicate poverty

In your surrounding, widen

Your boundary across your

Country, to nations of the world.

Help to fight poverty, now!

Winston Harding