A Far Out Economic Theory

I used to believe that if Man ever got to Mars
his motivation to go would be tax avoidance.
The rich would want to hide their money there
when it became the safest tax haven in the universe.

I know now was wrong,
when man gets to Mars,
by way of the stars,
the point of the takeover
will be to makeover
the gambling industry.

Mars will be used to launder the money
gained from weakly licensed gambling
and the mass sales of popular drugs,
sufficient for the money seem clean
before its return to Planet Earth.

The gravity of Mars
will draw money from afar
in a perfect financial vacuum.
The most courageous
will be the most steadfastly corrupt;
they and they alone will control
the return of the money
to create an earthly paradise

Carefully Observing Change

When we wipe clean our slate of other people's deeds,
we know that they very likely to repeat the deed
which for many makes arduous work of forgetting.

But forgiveness is not the Sisyphean labour
that many cynics and disbelievers make it out to be.

However much we and others repeatedly err
we make different errors each time.
So forgiveness becomes our absolving
of much how we vary, our diversity.

Whereas if we were singularly perfect
we could never change;
we would be pickled
to the point of boredom
in our own perfection.

A Sense Of Disappointment Recycled

I remember the tone of resignation in my mother's voice
every time I used to phone her, when I was younger.
As if to say 'What trouble has he got himself into now?'.

Her weary suspicion was what I kept trying to get past
to reestablish trust, after years of being able get myself
out of any trouble I might have gotten into by my own means.

But I could never defeat her suspicions,
or her disbelief that I could ever be trusted now,
after, by necessity, having been reliant on her.

Now, I am older than the politicians who seek my vote,
and I understand how and why Mother felt the way she did.
The politicians wheedle and charm me to get my vote,
and my attention. Both are inherently hard to earn quickly,
except by cheap publicity which quickly reduces it's user.

It would more wholesome for them to embrace
the weary suspicion and scepticism of the public
who before they hear about what is done in their name
feel duty bound to ask each other  'What new trouble
has [insert name of leader here] got our country into NOW?'  

Today's Saint; Saint Hubert

St Hubert (658-727) was born in Toulouse 

He is the patron saint of hunters.
His wife died giving birth to their son.
In his despair Hubert gave himself up
 to hunting and saw the sign of the cross
in the antlers of the most magnificent stag
 that he had ever seen.

The Lord spoke to him, saying 
'Turn to me or you will go to Hell'.
He prostrated himself before the stag
and sought the Lord's Direction.

Would that more of today's hunters
could be similarly afflicted of the heart
and seek to kill less and live to let live better.

Would that in Heaven's name 
he would damn to Hell
all the pharisee-like inversions
 committed in his name.  

Keep On Peddling.....

'The Journey of life
is like a man riding a bicycle.
We know he got on the bicycle
and he started to move.
We know that at some point
he will stop and get off.
We know that if stops moving
and does not get off
he will fall off'
-William Golding

The Lighter Touch

Since when did speaking from experience
come to be seen as smugness?
When it lacked the lighter touch.

Picture Set Of The Month-Vintage Embroidery

Circa 1880. Wool embroidery on cotton foundation.

1837. Silk and cotton embroidery on cotton foundation.

 Early 19th century. Silk embroidery on linen foundation.

19th century. Silk and metal embroidery on linen foundation.