Dollar Dreams And World Weariness

Not being a straight-trading animal, Man has long weltered in world weariness, Pretending oft to escape in denial, A jack ass wallows as in lukewarm ash. And feeling hurt nursing his hidden strife, Man is busy harming him none the less, Calling it a philosophy of life— This wayward stance toward the world of mess! A word that means world pain1, twister of tongue, And newly minted by Jean Paul Richter, And one more— world perception2, a word young, A vast field waits should we wish to welter! We see pain pouring, angst in urchin's eyes, Begging for crumbs, cherishing a big dream, Her eye whilst child's raw innocence defies, She hopes still one day to wallow in cream. The eyes of a house-help show it all clear, As of office colleague amidst hardship, Dreams of making good, gagging a stray tear, Yet, no one knows to laugh, nor ever weep. Take daily grind to work in rank non air, Pitiable public passage, crowded Journeys, problems galore—the rush for bread, Oh woes of weary world never seen ere! Mid-age men, ill at ease, in life-long mime, And women hair-dyed face done up, pushing, Prancing, pretending having a great time, What with sad eyes, drunk or doped, still showing! In false bravado—these men and women, Unable the will of life to challenge, Mocking at dangers in a disco den, Behaving in ways bordering on strange; Running away from reality's face, Hiding their pain, eyes still keen to escape— Escape from this never-ending rat-race, But who'd stop still this reality's rape! All, a few excluded, passengers are In this street car we may call ‘sour desire', A fellow traveller's idolised movie star, The rich much as poor in as deep a mire! Fortunate bare few facing no travails— Americans are not— spending today What for long years their progeny would pay, Lucky be Greeks should they survive what ails. We all cherish weirdest of dreams, and hedge In Dollars, ah, our future to mortgage! _________________________________________________ 1. Weltschmerz: (Greek, welt=world, schmertz= pain) , apathetic or vaguely yearning outlook on life. 2. Weltanschauung: (Greek, welt= world, anschauung= perception) , philosophy of life, conception of the world. _________________________________________________ Satire (Ode)| 05.10.11 |