Once Upon Our Time

Vulturous gluttons
thrust ready their mugs of remaining liquidity
for dollops of our life's cream
condensed and risen to the top
as hard earned experience

But in spite of our willing compassion's rich bouquet
little will be savored
through the soured after-taste of nescience
joining voracious lapping tongues
driven to un-tethered desperation
atop their dung heap of greed

Unlike Socrates accepting the shortness of death's breath
those who remain blissfully ignorant
oblivious of power mongers sweet-talking their minions of locust
blinders will remain fixed
vacuous labor will continue
cultivating but clay
to become mere grist for the wind

Most
will see drudgery's survival
plagued into madness
the lathered bridle of hope succumb
to the gluttonous appetite of deceit's hemlock
reducing any integrity left
to dust

Still
one must hope
trusting the antidote for poisoned consciousness
will once again take hold
return life's honesty of seed and growth
beckoning harvests worth nurturing

Once Upon Our Time