Artist

Alexander Averin

Monday 7 November 2011

Recession








Modern capitalism needs men who cooperate smoothly and in large numbers; who want to consume more and more; and whose tastes are standardized and can be easily influenced and anticipated ... what is the outcome? Modern man is alienated from himself, from his fellow man and from nature.


Erich Fromm

Wisdom for the Soul





Autumn’s recession


Multitudes of leaves today are drifting overhead,
as atmospheric pressure rises in its wicked worldlike way
En masse they hover, swirling, helpless, carried on the wind
and too soon reach the highway, so alive with all its busyness.
The strong survive, the others chance to fate
and play a game of Russian Roulette as they cross
as the slowest  in their weaker currency of air
soon trip, with many bound to fall.
These scrape across the tarmac noisily and become too quickly crushed,
while the others, high flyers in the land of leafdom,
still soar with ease and they can only laugh,
as they coolly reach the other side
to land upon a listening bank of green that wears a welcome smile.
Secure, untouchable, as they always were
when fixed so high upon the branches in their tree;
those lucky leaves whose hue is painted  precious gold,
will live entirely free of penalty or pain of death
or such an  undeserv`ed poverty.


Cait O’Connor

12 comments:

Elizabethd said...

Those are beautiful words, Cait.

e said...

Very true and wise words!

Anonymous said...

Lovely poem! I like he idea of the leaves laughing : )

The bike shed said...

Nice metaphors I thought.

I was at the St Paul's protest the other week - just passing - it was quite an odd experience - somehow it felt out of place, and yet uplifting too - maybe that's the issue.

bright star said...

Yes !yes yes !

Frances said...

Cait, I like this poem very much.

Recession is a word, a topic, a condition, maybe even a sort of muse well worth considering and responding to.

As I grow older and think of some historic points of time in my life, I find the current world state not all that reassuring that the horizon will grant us joy.

Yet...I do get up every morning and take my well-rested body and mind out into another day.

xo

Dave King said...

Marvellously well worked out. The metaphor involving the leaves works well. I began reading the poem and wondering if it was deliberate. And then you made clear that it was. Congrats.

CAMILLA said...

A lovely poem Cait, and the words so very true on the Recession.!

Aqeela said...

Beautiful poetry Cait, and thank you for visiting my blog too. Mevagissey hasnt changed hardly any since i first visted as a child, and i hope it doesnt change too much ever!

Aqeela xx

Reading Tea Leaves said...

I like the composition of this poem Cait. It reads with the flitting quickness of a leaf on the wind.

Things I fear are going to get a lot worse before they get better. But I feel the shift of change coming. I'm listening to a lot of Bob Dylan at the moment ..

Radio 4 - can't live without it!

Jeanne
x

Bee said...

I always notice that unless the economy is growing (that ever-widening gyre of consumption) it is a cause for widespread lamentation. We've had a year of not buying much, and it hasn't done us a bit of harm.

Is it just me? I seem to be loving the autumn leaves more than ever this year.

JeannetteLS said...

I have never read a description like this of recession OR autumn leaves and it just touched the right spot for me entirely!