DO NOT RAZE YOUR CHILDREN

Well I'm not sure I like this, but anyway Last Sunday I bought both Smiley and Wests "The Rich and the Rest of Us," and a $2 used treasury of American poetry. So after 5 days reading Travis and West for a chuch book group, and thumbing through the Poetry re-read Ginsbergs "Howl."
The result was this, which I don't like for 3 reasons
1) Seems more of a rant than a poem. I mean I could re-work it in meter and rhymes, but Oof!
2) Seems to be telling the poor they should own their own businesses and purchase stocks. Reality check? Would that they could.
3) Yes the title is a pun.
So as for blending Smiley and West with Ginsburg it was a fun experiment. Read at your own risk.  


DO NOT RAZE YOUR CHILDREN

Do not raise your children
Believing you are graced by throwing them to the fires
Of Moloch, Baal or Mammon
For the earth must be yours and the rain must be yours and the plow must be yours
For the seed is yours.
And what can meek inherit when they are slaughtered?

Do not raise your children
To return them to the grinding brickyards and the slavery of Pharoah
Who made them a commodity and worthless and once cast out great Moses
For the sea must be yours and the pillar must be yours and the commandantments must be yours
For the seed is yours.
And what can meek inherit when not taught freedom?

Do not leave your lands to the Inquisitions wrath
And leave to your children the inheritance of living on the margins
of holy great estates who won't employ or tithe to them and teach them only obligation
For the church must be yours and the prayers must be yours and the host must be yours
For the seed is yours
And what can meek inherit with souls oblidged?

Do not raise your children
To be job slaves at the lowest wage for Moloch Corp or Pharoah Inc or fear their jackboot cops of       Inquisition
To be a commoditiy for labor whom they will always trade for the bottom line
For the company must be yours and the enterprise must be yours and the stock certificate must be yours
For the seed is yours
And you must be a partner own as yours incorporate
Or what will they inherit when you've consigned their wealth away?