Three Dollars Sixty Five - By Tanya Warnakulasuriya

Written By: Tanya Warnakulasuriya (writing as T.P. Tovenaar performing as The Twitchy Witch)

Category: Poetry

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Tanya Warnakulasuriya, known in the literary world as T.P. Tovenaar and performing as The Twitchy Witch, presents her poignant work "Three Dollars Sixty Five" in the Poetry category. This thought-provoking piece is part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. It delves into the harsh realities of economic disparity and the cost of improving lives, challenging readers to reflect on the true price of eradicating poverty.

About the Work

"Three Dollars Sixty Five" is a powerful exploration of economic inequality, critiquing the systemic barriers that prevent poverty alleviation. With stark imagery and incisive commentary, the poem contrasts the trivial cost of basic needs with the exorbitant expenses of development efforts. The work employs vivid language to highlight the disconnect between theoretical solutions and the lived experiences of those in poverty.

Three Dollars Sixty Five

Original Submission by Tanya Warnakulasuriya (writing as T.P. Tovenaar performing as The Twitchy Witch)

Three Dollars Sixty Five

By The Twitchy Witch

Written by T.P.Tovenaar

According to the World Bank

Three dollars Sixty Five

Is all that’s required

To improve a poor life

To transform a life

Costs less than a latte

Less than a poke bowl

Or hummus with crudites

It costs less than the clothes

Most of us are wearing

And less than the subscription

For that mobile phone youre carrying

And yet, 26%

One out of every four of us

Lives below our basic needs

Look around you

Can you spot them

Surely poverty is very easy to see

Its dirty and torn

And Ragged and worn

It stinks and it bleeds

With disease

So if we can see it

And smell it

We can find it

And help it

Replace it with

Security and the ease

Of being in a country

Where the standard of living

Is above three dollars sixty five

But for some strange reason

It seems too expensive

To remove poverty

From poor lives

To give a poor person

Four dollars a day

Takes millions and billions of funds

And hundreds and thousands

Of highly trained staff

With doctrates and masters

In poverty and disasters

Who are experts, who’ll get the job done

They’re paid hundreds and thousands

In overseas allowances

For luxury housing and cars

And international school fees

And flights for whole families

Who sip lattes in posh coffee bars

Yes paying a poor person

Four dollars a day

Is not as easy

As one might think

Posh offices far away

From the poverty

Are required, for a birds eye perspective

To rescue people from the brink

It costs more than three dollars sixty five

To construct a Theory of Change

Developed by a consultant

Who charges

$5000 a day

Who flies in for two weeks and will stay

In a five star hotel at a princely rate

Of $200 per night

But its worth it because

He’s been hired to lift

6m people from their poverty plight

And although this little island

Has received this development for almost 80 years

Very little has eradicated hunger pains

Or wiped away poverty tears

And despite the UN vowing

In 4 years to take poverty away

The poor still suffer

As Development gets fatter

Eating hummus and sipping lattes

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, brings together voices from around the world to share their unique perspectives through poetry and prose. This prestigious event celebrates diversity in expression and encourages dialogue on critical global issues, fostering a community of artists dedicated to the power of the written word.

We extend our gratitude to Tanya Warnakulasuriya for contributing "Three Dollars Sixty Five" to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your insightful work encourages a necessary conversation on global inequality. Thank you for sharing your powerful voice with us.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.