Poetry – The Importance of Importance Too – another completely different version of the poem

What is important in life?

Is it all about hedonism?

Or about accruing wealth, possessions and status symbols?

Or is it about power?

Is it religious devotion?

We all live lives of quiet desperation – or so I am told. We are desperate to get more and be noticed; to be someone.

We live our lives in a bubble of mundaneity. Our lives are pulled along down familiar routines. But where is the substance? Where is the purpose? What are we gaining?

Do we merely mindlessly live?

Meanwhile the bulk of humanity and the whole ecosystem of the planet pays the price for the extravagance and ambitions of the few. The establishment leads us on a roller-coaster of greed, avarice, selfishness and belligerence towards a precipice.

Trying to be important creates war, poverty and destruction.

I would hesitatingly suggest that there are better ways to live a life and better ways to run the world.

Perhaps those who care should get involved?

IMPORTANCE OF IMPORTANCE

 

The raised fist and honest twist

The acid rain and asthma pain

The babies cry and darkened sky

The shrapnel bomb and arrogant aplomb

The plastic mine and doing time

The napalm cling and shredded skin fling

The penthouse suite and frozen feet

The Leah jet and yacht set

The bimbo glide and knife’s slide

The old boy tie and outrageous lie

The cardboard box and sly old fox

The turn of the wheel and anguished squeal

The turn of the screw and smiles that chew

The rocket’s roar and overdraft score

The prostitute child and ‘ain’t life wild’

The snuff flick and torture stick

The bombs that tick

The mind’s turned sick

The boy the chick

The country hick

The cunt the prick

The sneering kick

And all the things that get you one up

On somebody else

That make someone gloat

And someone else crawl

That’s the importance of importance.

 

Opher  8.11.95