On the Issue and Consequence of Greed

The spark of an idea lit a flame of desire,

And the winds of change fanned it to a fire:

As the excitement burned, its blaze reached higher;

And those who ignited it stood by to admire.

As the news of their accomplishment spread far and wide,

The accolades poured in from every side;

And as their fame did surge so did their pride,

But few real wise would dare to deride.

And the blaze grew fast into a global symbiosis,

Spreading rapidly on its various courses,

And ostensibly governed by unseen forces,

It soon poured out its venom in lethal doses.

So, the beautiful blue planet was mercilessly torched,

And all attempts to extinguish were furtively botched,

Till the ice all melted, and forests were scorched,

While the politicians debated or selfishly watched.

Now as the earth is ravaged the results are dual;

We choke on emissions while we burn up the fuel:

We are in dire need for our lack of accrual,

As we contemplate the costs of a greed so cruel.

When the forbidden fruit has all been tasted,

We’ll find it was good for as long as it lasted;

But what of all the precious wealth wasted?

And how will we restore the resources exhausted?

For the folly of those who would vainly presume

We cannot deplete what we voraciously consume,

We find ourselves stranded as we fret and fume,

And in search of redemption from imminent doom.

Well, the sum of the matter is the issue of greed;

It’s what we crave after and not what we need:

So, we tried to improve but have to concede,

That humankind is the most self-seeking breed.

Eric Anthony Trott

15^th September 2016
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