Unveiled : Part Two    

What is the Definition of Poverty

       Let’s see, poverty …ah, yes! Poor! That’s it, but wait, let’s see what the dictionary has to say. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus, one definition of poverty is ‘lack of money or material possessions’. Well, forget about material possessions, because if one does not have money, well you know…one is screwed.

            For some families there is no money to buy food, clothes, tissues, toothpaste…the list goes on. Most families resort to begging to feed their children, sacrificing self-esteem to send their children to school. And when things get worse, either go hungry for three days, go to school barefoot, no books, no pencils, and no lunch. Some houses have no running water, no bathroom with pretty little butterflies and flowers, and no kitchen. Most of the time families live together in one bedroom, in a hut looking house. Think about that for a second.

       What is the definition of poverty? Certainly not going one mile and oh hop into a car and bang! and the store is suddenly there, it’s walking four miles from school… barefoot. Poverty isn’t ten pairs of shoes…guilty…and then complaining about not getting the eleventh pair. Poverty isn’t the excess food and the excess waste. Well, I could go on.

          Poverty has no respect of persons and though my weakness maybe shoes, my strength is giving and sharing…and I know there are more of us out there. I know there are good folks who understand how fortunate we are in America. Let us come together, unite, join hands, help, pray, give and stamp out poverty. Let us pray for those of us who are less fortunate today, because I believe the definition of poverty; is not having one’s basic needs met.