kindness seeps away
over the decades
the memory of younger years
smudgy with layers added
so the truth of kindness
becomes shadowy
next to the truth of profit
what he knows now
one has to pick oneself up
by the bootstraps and work
driven by a restless mind
he sought to ignore
his scorched soul
the scars and sores
invisible to most
the only balance he knew
that of the bank account
and so he found himself
nestled in his lonely bed
visited one night by three ghosts
with bizarre, unearthly powers
he tried to whistle
and wheedle away his fear
but he found he could not
and what he came to know
was a wealth of kindness
few, if any, thought him capable
for now what he set on the balance
was not money
/ / /
This poem was written in response to Wordle 44 at The Sunday Whirl.
Sadly Waiting for Recess 
This is beautiful and hopeful, Richard. But what I really like is that you drew a picture for me of my ex-husband that turned into Scrooge. LoL I thank you for that one. 😉
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Brenda, thank you. I really liked “beautiful and hopeful”. Glad you liked it.
Richard
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Nice. While my Wordle took a different direction I did write yesterday about another fable… Jack and the bean stalk for Joseph Harker:
http://namingconstellations.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/reverie-six-bloody-vikings/
ljóðaháttr: Listen?
Unstrung the harp // hangs heavily there
She used to play for him daily
While the grateful goose // she laid golden eggs
But ever since jack stole the bird
All the Giant does for noise is weep…
JP/davh
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JulesPaige, thanks for stopping by and commenting. You are the second person who’s mentioned Joseph Harker and his reverie; I need to check it out. Thanks.
Richard
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Ah, LOVE this retelling of a tale without using the familiar name (with the exception of the title). Well, done! (Really liked the line about the scorched soul.)
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Paula, thanks! Glad you liked my version.
Richard
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Mr. Scrooge — in February! I love it!!
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Annette, thank you. Yes, even in February.
Richard
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“what he set on the balance was not money” …. ringing with sincere authenticity so clear I can hear you reading!
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Pearl, thank you. I like “sincere authenticity”.
Richard
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Enjoyed this Richard!
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Laurie, thank you. Glad you liked it.
Richard
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Well done, Richard! “The truth of kindness becomes shadowy next to the truth of profit” is a significant line.
My mind is cluttered with a vision of Disney’s Uncle Scrooge, standing by a pile of money!
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Marianne, thank you. Glad you liked that line. Your reference to Uncle Scrooge made me smile. I guess we all recycle the great stories in our own way, even Disney.
Richard
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Great read! I thought this would be about somebody else.
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Cathy, thank you. I think it could be about somebody else. I just wanted the allusion, without the direct reference, but maybe the title is a little too obvious.
Richard
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Love this poem, particularly that first stanza.
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PurplePen, thanks. I’m partial to that first stanza myself.
Richard
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I know this man, and you’ve described him well. Dickens would be proud of you!
Whirling Haiku
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MMT, thanks. It’s nice to think that Dickens wouldn’t mind – and might even like it.
Richard
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So much the poem is conveying. It doesn’t even need the Scrooge allusion, because the theme is so universal. The lines that stand out each time I read, are:
so the truth of kindness
becomes shadowy
next to the truth of profit
Might be fun to try a poem that starts with those lines [and does not allude to Mr. E. S. :-)].
margo
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Margo, thank you. I agree. You’re not the first person who’s commented on the universal appeal of this one. I think I can just leave it untitled, so that the Scrooge allusion is more subtle. Glad you liked those lines. And I like your idea of following those lines and seeing where they lead.
Richard
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I chose the same lines as Margo. Very powerful. Loved the last line too!
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Janet, thank you. Glad that you, too, liked those lines.
Richard
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Funny how lots of us went through that learning curve. I still remember the phrase, “time is money”, golly. Well wrought poem.
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I saw a lot of website but I think this one has something extra in it. “Ful wys is he that can himselven knowe (Very wise is he that can know himself.)” by Geoffrey Chaucer.
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