The Shackles of Altruism

You want to protect the world from the impacts of man,
You want to give the unfortunate all manner of things,
You want life to be fair, and you think you have a plan.
Your giving requires taking and all that that brings.
You need me to behave in accordance with your will.
You need me to produce and give others what I own.
You need my compliance for your plan to work, and still,
Your giving requires taking, this must be better known.
You compel me to work for the benefit of others.
You compel me to meet law after specious law.
You compel me to replace your will for my druthers,
Your compulsion takes my freedom, but to you, this is no flaw.
You feast on false premises: promoting welfare means giving;
I starve for secured liberty: my fundamental right of living.

Comments

Stephen Bourque said…
Your poem is wonderful. It's theme is universal, of course, but it seems particularly important in America today.
August 21, 2009 at 6:24 PM
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