ABUNDANCE. 

There once was abundance.

Bountiful fish, not a bounty on fish.

Strong woven nets

Designed to catch many

And nourish the many,

While freeing the rest.

Gardens of crops, not guarding of crops.

Baskets and barrels 

Designed to hold many

To share with the many,

While storing the rest.

Exchanges for good, not transactions for goods.

Small local markets

Designed to host many,

To profit the many

With fruits of success. 

Consuming for need, not consumed by our greed.   

But then mass production,

Designed to oust many

To make a quick penny,

Took hold like a pest.

Food shortage, they say? Yet there’s waste every day…

Fully stocked shelves, 

Designed to sell many,

Are creating the many 

Tonne-loads of excess. 

Pay for kai or the rental? Yet both are essential…

Our 'team of five million', 

Designed to serve many,

Are not helping many

Who live in distress…

Free paper bag lunches, or roll with the punches?

A free meal at last –

Designed to feed many,

but stigma for many

Is hard to digest.

There once was abundance…

Hard to believe, but not hard to retrieve.

Movements emerging,

Designed to urge many

To nourish the many,

While teaching the rest.  

Bring back the nets,

Bring back the baskets,

Bring back the village of sharing too. 

Weave in the tech,

Weave in the markets;

We can combine the old with the new.

We need an abundance

Of social food justice. 

Enough for each person, enough for us all. 

Local solutions, 

Fairer distributions… 

It’s everyone’s problem and everyone’s goal.