A News Sonnet A Day for April 2010: 23

I've set myself a goal for National Poetry Month this year: Compose a sonnet based on a science-themed news story each day.

Today's installment takes its cue from "Study Links Maternal Height To Children's Health Outcomes" from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Thanks to GypsyWynd for the article suggestion and link!

Inherited Hunger

Effects of malnutrition on a child
Can cause disease and death, it's long been known.
But now a new connection has been filed.
For if the mother, long before she's grown,

Was stunted by a short supply of food,
She risks producing children who will die.
Such risks were greatest if the mother stood
At four foot nine or fewer inches high.

This influence on child mortality
Joins income lack and education gaps,
Connecting to a similar degree
In fifty-four poor countries. Now, perhaps,

Nutrition goals for helping children thrive
Can help their sons and daughters stay alive.

Elissa Malcohn's Deviations and Other Journeys Promote Your Page Too







Vol. 1, Deviations: Covenant (2nd Ed.) Vol. 2, Deviations: Appetite Vol. 3, Deviations: Destiny Free downloads at the Deviations website and on Smashwords.

Go to Manybooks.net to access Covenant, Appetite, and Destiny in even more formats!

Participant, Operation E-Book Drop. (Logo credit: K.A. M'Lady & P.M. Dittman.)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.