A New World, Today

We could home the homeless
End poverty
Tomorrow

If only we wanted

We could create a new world
Based on facts
And reason

If we followed the evidence

We could save ourselves heartbreak
Misery and sorrow,
Even death

And not be any poorer

We could do all this and create a better
A fairer world
For everyone 

No more ifs

We are way past dreaming
It's time for action
Today

A.J. Ponder

See links below to understand just how expensive austerity is, and why we need to change the paradigm we've been conned into believing.

Have a great week

A.J. Ponder

Housing homeless cheaper, more effective than status quo: study

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/housing-homeless-cheaper-more-effective-than-status-quo-study/article4563718/

Six Examples of the Long-Term Benefits of Anti-Poverty Programs

(https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/05/11/six-examples-long-term-benefits-anti-poverty-programs)

Early Childhood Education for All A Wise Investment

(http://web.mit.edu/workplacecenter/docs/Full%20Report.pdf)

And a few more UBI talks (Universal Basic Income) 

Ted Talk: Poverty Is not a Lack of Character, it's a Lack of Cash

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIL_Y9g7Tg0)

 Basic Income and other ways to fix capitalism 

(https://youtu.be/A2aBKnr3Ep4) - Let's look at the data - and stop following corporate narrative - or as the presenter says, "fairytales" - and dangerous ones, because they're actually twisting reality, rather than reflecting it.

Why everyone should have a basic income | Guy Standing

(https://youtu.be/NNHAgXy5dxQ)

Requiem by Robert Louis Stevenson 1850–1894

Under the wide and starry sky
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.

This be the verse you grave for me;
"Here he lies where he longed to be,
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill."


I've been waiting a long time to post this poem - but because it's so morbid (kind of) I thought I'd better be pretty happy when I posted it just so that people wouldn't get the wrong idea.  It's just... heck read the poem - I have dozens of times, and it never seems to get old.

An exciting week or so and I've been nominated for a Vogel award - which is absolutely awesome.  My children's story "Frankie and the Netball Clone" somehow made the list.  And I'm hoping to be able to release some more exciting news soon, I'm just not sure when....  

Have a great week everybody and don't forget to check out the Tuesday Poem where a certain Zireaux has injected his own brand of humour into the main post - and of course there are so many fantastic poems and more (such as such as Catty Rox's Nuts and Bolts entry about the realities of professional writing) - right here.

Cheers,

A.J.

 A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Arty Bees, The Children's Bookshop and good Wellington bookstores