Sugar tastes less sweet to me
seeing embittered work-slaves starve-
cutting cane for insatiable appetites
of obscene wealth and power
as rich folks feast on their own
corpses of conscience
with sweetly seductive charms
entertaining illusions of charity.
I watch the images with jaded eyes
and munch on sugared snacks,
but I see myself in the slaves and the rich
bound alike to Consequences
and feel the strangest stirring of
just anger and forgiving compassion for all
mixed like a bitter-sweet drink to the past
and present hypocrisies of Humanity
forgetful of its inherent Unity.
I’ve been and done it all, no doubt,
in many lives I’ve lived
but I know now I won’t forget
why sugar tastes less sweet.
May 18/19, 2006
Flowerpoet 