Vertical by A.J. Ponder

When you're digging down
to the bedrock of belief
the truth is hard to hide
and easy to misrepresent

When the slope is vertical,
there are no handholds
and little water to soften
the fall

No one can deny the majesty,
of the view -
it's just the little matter 
of the cost

When, for almost nothing
we can hug a tree
in a horizontal forest,
and taste the rain


Bit late for Tuesday - but I am busy, busy, busy, it's just that time of year. Lilly Lionheart and the Labyrinth of Doom is close...very close, just the last, last, last edits. And I got a little distracted, the world is facing some seriously exciting prospects, people planning to end extreme poverty in our lifetime, and just as this amazing goal seems almost within reach...

Countries like India are frustrated that too much time and money has been misspent on vertical programs that only tackle one, or very few diseases, drawing money away from much needed health projects. They've had enough, and want co-ordinated projects that tackle the diseases and conditions that most affect their populations. They're calling for horizontal programs (water and primary care), and an end to being bullied into Western disease of the week agendas. So I'm keen to put a little money where my mouth is, but it's hard work finding the perfect charity....good enough will have to do.  It's all anyone can do.   

7 water charities: because water is life, and clean water will save more lives than almost anything else we can do. http://www.goodnet.org/articles/1000


http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/about-us/history-principles

for checking out your "perfect" charity (already set to "save the children") http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4438#.VhzyoSst540

Any ideas or suggestions welcome. 
Have a fantastic week!
A.J.

Cat-World Problems

People are starving in Africa,
but the cat is at his bowl
complaining about the
vast sliver of bowl
daring to peak through
cat biscuits

There's murder on the news
but the cat is at the door
complaining about the rain -
and what are you going to do
about this climate change?

You can't deny it,
you know it's serious
when it's a cat-world problem
 because the fatter the cat

the bigger the noise




A.J.Ponder


P.S. Although of course neither of our cats are fat - they're just...big boys. And absolutely gorgeous...if a little demanding.

P.S. A.J is the author of Quest, Prophecy, Omens, Miss Lionheart and the Laboratory of Death, Wizard's Guide to Wellington, Attack of the Giant Bugs - a You Choose Science Adventure, and The Frankie Files

 

 More cat poems:

Accounting for Herbert

Queen of the Chair

The Piano Twins (cute kittens) 

Find my stories and support my writing on ko-fi and tell me which poems you'd like to see in my upcoming poetry book—2024: https://ko-fi.com/ajponder