Tag Archives: wealth

Were Today Thy Last (Sonnet)

Were today thy last, wouldst thou giveth all ye had,

Or wouldst thou hoardeth as the miser does.

Hiding his worth from all his lasses and lads,

Vowing to take it with him as if thy soul it was.

~

Foolish art thou who believeth this lie,

For nothing of this world shalt survive the beyond.

To ash it doth turn on the day that we die,

It matters not how precious nor how fond.

~

Thy treasures are but bobbles, no worth doth they hold,

Once thou hath taken thy deep and final breath.

Arrogance and greed, both foolhardy and bold,

Revealed as thou art lowered to thy grave upon death.

~

Giveth now with the fullest of hearts for thy time upon earth is but brief,

Resulting in lightness and joy in thy heart to thy soul this shalt come as relief.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

More Cold Than The Season (Sonnet)

More cold than the season could possibly express,

Hangs in the air and the hearts of man.

We speak not of atrocities, we’d rather repress

Waged against others by their brother’s hand.

.

Considering ourselves a civilized sort,

Still in prejudice and intolerance we stand.

Giving no venue for them to retort

In what with affection we call the promised land.

.

This promise so cruel–seems held for the few

While the rest us are left to our own devices

The whip of the wealthy cracks to tame the shrews

While living high amongst their golden vices

.

Inequalities based on race, creed and color exist no matter how we wish them to fade,

Persisting throughout the years, not because we are right, but instead because we are afraid.

.

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

We Are Told From Birth (Haiku)

We are told from birth

This world is your oyster

~~ Where’s the shucking knife

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

I Grow Weary Of This Eternal Fight (Sonnet)

I grow weary of this eternal fight,

Shackled to the rack of banker and coin.

Neither watch out for societies rights,

Instead every turn–a kick to the groin.

Warned of their evil for centuries past,

We heeded their warning ’til memories fade.

Enslave us they must, right on down to the last,

By our sweat and blood until death we have paid.

It stops not here for the cycle goes on,

Our children continue to pay on our debts.

We and our progeny are nothing but pawns,

On whose lives without conscience they’ve all placed their bets.

The greed of our system we claim best in the world,

Quite possibly it would be if the bankers we had hurled.

.

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

A Life of Extravagance (Sonnet)

A life of extravagance looming large;

From gilded palace to jewelled robe.

Shepherd of man has failed his charge,

Faithful bewildered as xenophobe.

You undermine your Pope a spirit most humble,

For luxuries beyond the common man.

While continuing forth to suffer and stumble,

Creating a gluttons promised land.

You have lost all sight of your earthly charge,

Succumbing to frailties supposed immune.

Enshrined in greed and an ego large,

Treating your sheep as courtly buffoons.

Soon before God you will stand for your digression,

Praying to be spared Hell for your foolish obsession.

.

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Blinded

Blinded by incessant greed,

You care not how it is acquired.

Crushing the lowly ant beneath designer wingtips

Screams for mercy go unheeded muffled in their death.

Prodded from birth a loss shall not be suffered,

Now so ingrained is it that you know no other way.

Color green, dreams of dollars, pounds, yen, your consummate brides,

You see nothing else, you see no inequity, no poverty.

Devoured by loathing, oblivious to anything but self

You despise those you view as vagrants, leeches, sycophants,

Treating them as rubbish though you know not their stories.

No time do you have for the common good,

Nor anyone or anything but your deepest desire.

Leaving all else to ride the wave of your deadly hate

While you strive to romance your lover…greed.

.

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Inspirational Quote: From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate – Socrates

Jem Farmer the Boi Poet – Poetry Prompt  – Three on Friday – 23 August 2013

 

Peeling Back The Layers

Peeling back the layers

Like an onion of marble, brick, wood,

Concrete, steel and plaster.

What lies beneath this man-made skeleton?

Flesh, blood, bone,

Hopes, dreams, promise,

Failure, disappointment, longing,

Pain, suffering and sorrow,

Wrapped in the package human.

Wealth nor status makes one immune.

Life infects rich and poor alike,

Birth and death spare no one,

Entering into their pact with nothing

And fulfilling the contract with no reward.

These truths are guaranteed

Despite a desire to bury them in denial, religion or alcohol.

Make what you will of your life

Ignore those that cry to you with outstretched hands,

Divert your eyes from malnourishment,

Turn your back on humanities fallen,

Do this and more without conscience

As a soulless miscreant is bound to do.

This is your choice.

Or join this race we all run…offering,

Time, money, love,

Compassion, sympathy, understanding,

A helping hand, encouragement,

As much or as little as you have,

This is what it means to be human,

To be in communion,

Asking nothing in return.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Enough – A Tanka

Somber do I feel

Weeping for the worlds pains

As if mine alone

In our culture of excess

Is there not enough for all

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Humbled By A Stranger

Talk of family

Words did not come easily

But I understood

Though our languages differ

We spoke as if long lost friends

You Colombian

Plagued by crime and poverty

Low pay your reward

Yet still you love your country

Love it with all of your heart

Me American

My badge of entitlement

Worn outward with shame

Embarrassed by my complaints

You my friend have humbled me

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

In The End

Gather up what to you belongs

It serves no purpose once you’re gone

A lifetime spent in hordish gather

In the end what does it matter

We collect and prize our worldly wares

Empty handed we climb the stairs

Meaningless in the grand scheme of things

To claw and scratch for golden ring

This buys you nothing in the end

How sad to see this is the trend

He who has the most stuff losses

If this path the fool doth chooses

Instead look upon your fellow man

Offer them an outstretched hand

For one and all we are the same

In this life a finite game

More wealth derived from acts of kindness

Than all that’s earthly left behind us

Believe or not this must be true

As I strive in all I do

Though I sometimes stumble and often fail

I choose to believe this sober tale

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~