I came across a poem I thought worth sharing. It comes from a book of poetry entitled "Broadcast", by Ernest Howard Crosby.
God's Gift
WHERE is my gift," said God, "that I gave to men—
The sun-wed, fruitful earth, with her freight of good
For all their wants? What mean these prayers for food?
Are there poor in a world which bursts with its golden stores?
Who are the few that dare to withhold from all My gift to all of the fruitful, sun-wed earth?"And the few replied: "O, Lord, we give Thee thanks.
"I know them not," said God; "they are fiends from hell
Thou gavest the earth to all, it is true, but lo!
Thy angels, Law and Order, who rule the world
When Thou art far away, have learned our worth,
And rightly bestowed on us Thine inheritance."
That juggle thus with the gift that I gave to man.
I am never far away from the world I gave.
And now once more and forevermore I give
This fruitful earth anew to the sons of men.
Woe to the fiends who shall dare usurp my place!
Woe to the few who say that my gift is theirs!
Woe to the man who grasps his neighbour's land!"
It brings to mind several things I've read. First, this passage from "Progress and Poverty" by Henry George:
We sail through space as if on a well-provisioned ship. If food above deck seems to grow scarce, we simply open a hatch -- and there is a new supply. And a very great command over others comes to those who, as the hatches are opened, are permitted to say: "This is mine!"
Second, two different versions of "The Landlord's Prayer" which I posted on this blog earlier:
from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer
A Prayer For Landlords
"The earth is thine, O Lord, and all that is contained therein; notwithstanding thou hast given the possession thereof to the children of men, to pass over the time of their short pilgrimage in this vale of misery. We heartily pray thee to send thy holy spirit into the hearts of those that possess the grounds, pastures and dwelling places of the earth, that they, remembering themselves to be thy tenants, may not rack or stretch out the rents of their houses or lands; not yet take unreasonable fines and incomes, after the manner of covetous worldlings; but, so let them out to others that the inhabitants thereof may be able both to pay their rents, and also honestly to live, to nourish their family and to relieve the poor. Give them grace also to consider that they are but strangers and pilgrims in this world, having here no dwelling-place, but seeking one to come; that they, remembering the short continuance of their lives, may be content with what is sufficient, and not join house to house, nor couple land to land, to the impoverishment of others; but so behave themselves in letting out their tenements, lands and pastures, that after this life they may be received into everlasting dwelling-places, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
and from Henry George's newspaper, The Standard:
Lord, keep us rich and free from toil,
For we
Are honored holders of Thy soil,
Which democrats would now despoil
With glee.
O! Lord, our fathers got the land
For serving those whom Thy right hand
Had chosen to be great and grand
As kings.
Tho' ta'en by force, we're not to blame,
Thou know'st, O! Lord, it is a shame
To say to us - of titled name,
Such things.
Lord, let us live in wealth's content,
And peace!
Lord, we are by Thy mercy meant
To rule mankind, and make our rent
Increase.
The birds that haunt the moors and hills,
The fish that swim in streams and rills,
The beasts that roam as Nature wills,
We own;
E'en Lord, the minerals that lie
Beneath the earth's periphery
Belong to us! Thou knowest why
Alone.
And third, of a book entitled "Thy Neighbor's Landmark" which is online at http://www.whatwouldjesustax.com.
Crosby's poem is wonderful. Perhaps we can explain a significant portion of the concentrations of wealth and income in the hands of a few:
And the few replied: "O, Lord, we give Thee thanks.
"I know them not," said God; "they are fiends from hell
Thou gavest the earth to all, it is true, but lo!
Thy angels, Law and Order, who rule the world
When Thou art far away, have learned our worth,
And rightly bestowed on us Thine inheritance."
That juggle thus with the gift that I gave to man.
Comments