GREED

as a small child
i grasped at everything within my reach
food
toys
household paraphenalia
flora and fauna
i claimed all those bright shiny objects as my own
oh i got most upset if another child coveted my playthings
or if an adult interseeded
i would howl and scream
kick and fight
i was indecent
unable to decenter
incapable of viewing the world from another perspective
as i grew older
i became a little more selective in my grasping
but still i coveted possessions
collections of football stickers
toy figurines
model aeroplanes
and i wanted people too
schoolfriends who amused or attracted me
or bought me access to new places or experiences
grown-ups who showed me enticing glimpses
of possibilities i hadn't dreamt of
handsome boys
pretty girls
pretty boys
handsome girls
as i reached my teenage years
the troll spiralled out of control
i craved maturity
respect
bigger toys
cars and guitars
i wanted female adoration
free love
the pleasures of the flesh
another notch on my bedpost
i gorged on youthful rebellion
the fashions
the music
the drugs
the politics
as my adult years rolled around
i was already on a slippery slope
a bigger salary
a better car
hipper more intelligent friends
a prettier wife
fancier holidays
still more exciting toys
rapacious
i wanted minerals and resources
i demanded bigger profits
better returns
i hatched campaigns
invaded countries
fought for control of whole continents
i was consumed by an impulse i could not resist
until one day
i climbed from my limosine
and stepped out onto the pavement
in front of a one-eyed beggar
who sat smiling angelically beside a mangy dog
the beggar winked at me and said:
'you can't take all that with you, you know'