I heard one who said: "Verily, What word have I for children here? Your Dollar is your only Word, The wrath of it your only fear.
"You build it altars tall enough To make you see but you are blind; You cannot leave it long enough To look before you or behind.
"When Reason beckons you to pause, You laugh and say that you know best; But what it is you know, you keep As dark as ingots in a chest.
"You laugh and answer, 'We are young; Oh, leave us now, and let us grow:' Not asking how much more of this Will Time endure or Fate bestow.
"Because a few complacent years Have made your peril of your pride, Think you that you are to go on Forever pampered and untried?
"What lost eclipse of history, What bivouac of the marching stars, Has given the sign for you to see Milleniums and last great wars?
"What unrecorded overthrow Of all the world has ever known, Or ever been, has made itself So plain to you, and you alone?
"Your Dollar, Dove, and Eagle make A Trinity that even you Rate higher than you rate yourselves; It pays, it flatters, and it's new.
"And though your very flesh and blood Be what the Eagle eats and drinks, You'll praise him for the best of birds, Not knowing what the eagle thinks.
"The power is yours, but not the sight; You see not upon what you tread; You have the ages for your guide, But not the wisdom to be led.
"Think you to tread forever down The merciless old verities? And are you never to have eyes To see the world for what it is?
"Are you to pay for what you have With all you are?"--No other word We caught, but with a laughing crowd Moved on. None heeded, and few heard.
by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Humanity i love you
Humanity i love you because you would rather black the boots of success than enquire whose soul dangles from his watch-chain which would be embarrassing for both
parties and because you unflinchingly applaud all songs containing the words country home and mother when sung at the old howard
Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your intelligence to buy a drink and when you're flush pride keeps
you from the pawn shops and because you are continually committing nuisances but more especially in your own house
Humanity i love you because you are perpetually putting the secret of life in your pants and forgetting it's there and sitting down
on it and because you are forever making poems in the lap of death Humanity
no subject
I heard one who said: "Verily,
What word have I for children here?
Your Dollar is your only Word,
The wrath of it your only fear.
"You build it altars tall enough
To make you see but you are blind;
You cannot leave it long enough
To look before you or behind.
"When Reason beckons you to pause,
You laugh and say that you know best;
But what it is you know, you keep
As dark as ingots in a chest.
"You laugh and answer, 'We are young;
Oh, leave us now, and let us grow:'
Not asking how much more of this
Will Time endure or Fate bestow.
"Because a few complacent years
Have made your peril of your pride,
Think you that you are to go on
Forever pampered and untried?
"What lost eclipse of history,
What bivouac of the marching stars,
Has given the sign for you to see
Milleniums and last great wars?
"What unrecorded overthrow
Of all the world has ever known,
Or ever been, has made itself
So plain to you, and you alone?
"Your Dollar, Dove, and Eagle make
A Trinity that even you
Rate higher than you rate yourselves;
It pays, it flatters, and it's new.
"And though your very flesh and blood
Be what the Eagle eats and drinks,
You'll praise him for the best of birds,
Not knowing what the eagle thinks.
"The power is yours, but not the sight;
You see not upon what you tread;
You have the ages for your guide,
But not the wisdom to be led.
"Think you to tread forever down
The merciless old verities?
And are you never to have eyes
To see the world for what it is?
"Are you to pay for what you have
With all you are?"--No other word
We caught, but with a laughing crowd
Moved on. None heeded, and few heard.
by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Humanity i love you
Humanity i love you
because you would rather black the boots of
success than enquire whose soul dangles from his
watch-chain which would be embarrassing for both
parties and because you
unflinchingly applaud all
songs containing the words country home and
mother when sung at the old howard
Humanity i love you because
when you're hard up you pawn your
intelligence to buy a drink and when
you're flush pride keeps
you from the pawn shops and
because you are continually committing
nuisances but more
especially in your own house
Humanity i love you because you
are perpetually putting the secret of
life in your pants and forgetting
it's there and sitting down
on it
and because you are
forever making poems in the lap
of death Humanity
i hate you
by e.e. cummings