What is Need?
written by: Christine Piatek
Most days,
we don’t think, because
there’s no need to
consider what we need or, let’s get to the point,
what we want
because we want it,
and for no other reason.
The daily coffee-to-go
in the packaging that
damages the earth,
the takeout lunch
that could feed a family of four,
exorbitant cacao.
Once in a while,
I am reminded,
shamed
by my misunderstanding
of want and need.
Like today, as I sip my coffee
from the damaging take-out cup
with a plastic lid
in the obscurity of my car,
as the man in the median holds his sign
asking for help so he can buy something to eat.
Almost no one looks his way.
His grasp on language surpasses mine.
He knows need.
I am a retired public sector lawyer who has always enjoyed writing -- journalism, memoir, essays, and poetry. I have been writing poetry in earnest for over ten years. My inspiration comes from nature, life's daily experiences, and thinking about the problems of the world. I've had several poems published in an annual summer fiction and poetry edition of a regional newspaper.
Latest posts by Christine Piatek (see all)
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