Food And Violence

'A hand to mouth existence'
is a phrase that denotes a life
where there is never a surplus
and the financial moorings
of the masses are never as secure
as everyone says they wish they were.
But with a lot of grit, self discipline,
and enough luck the poor will survive.

Alas in the alcohol cultures
that many of the poor get trapped in
'hand to mouth' would also mean
the fear of being fed with a fist,
raised in spontaneous anger,
as much as the hope of getting by.