Reuters photo
By
Thais Fernandes
Poverty
Deep in his eyes,
the fire of hope awaiting justice
burning through darkest depression.
No faith in their future, no dreams to follow.
Children abandon school
and society suffers.
Inequality. Black clouds,
shadow of an invisible life in misery.
A rhetoric echoes loudly in void of their speech.
Many refugees. Beggars,
some homeless and unemployed.
Words, but no action.
Yet they face the reality of humanity
Maybe, not knowing the greatest poverty is
poverty of the soul.
Thais Fernandes
Thaís Fernandes carries a book with her wherever she goes. An avid reader who takes pleasure in learning history of humanity in the Arts, and literature has greatly influenced her way of thinking about life. In addition to being a library-goer, Thaís is a Writing Instructor, and freelance Translator from São Paulo, Brazil. She holds degrees in Portuguese, English Language and Literature, and university diplomas in Introduction to Irish Studies; Translation Studies; Philosophy, and Sociology. Her poetry and literary translations have been published in different online journals, including with the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, Meta/Phor(e)/Play, Poem Hunter, Merak Magazine, and Zunái – Revista de Poesia e Debates. Current projects include a collection of essays on Literary Historiography in early Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century, and translations of 5 poems by William Faulkner. Contact her through linkedin.
Ms. Fernandes has a gift of language that she expresses beautifully in different tongues and in different forms. It is unusual for someone to be both a skilled translator and a good poet, but she certainly is. Her insights and energy come alive in her words. This poem looks with compassion into the souls of those marginalized by political systems. Her empathy is unvarnished, powerful, and heartfelt.
Very strong poem bu a wonderful & kind person.
Thais is a dear friend and gifted writer. She possesses a genuine passion for literature that I've found in few others.