Ill Gotten Gains Poem by Paula Glynn

Stealing is the name of the game,
Whether the old days of the pickpocket,
Or the modern day cybercrime,
Thievery in any century,
You could mention,

The public blinded by governments,
Throughout the history of the world,
The rich rolling in money,
As they feed their appetites,
On the taxes and rent of the poor,
So many of the lesser fortunate in debt,

And the rich spend money,
On holidays and cars,
Not caring about their corruption,
And their ill gotten gains,
The public always wishing for the same,

Those playboys with their six packs,
And the models with their skinniness,
As they roam down catwalks,
While rock stars smoke their cigarettes,
And ponder those ill gotten gains,
Although no celebrity to show their pain,
Emotions of guilt, for they have,
What others don't have:
Money and lots of it,
Feeling as if it was illegally gained,

For money was believed,
To be the root of all evil,
When priests punished children,
And warned the dangers of their souls,
If they allowed greed in,
But now we know, it is only true,
When money is stolen,
For this is the meaning of ill gotten gains,

Whether by a gun,
By violence, or by threats:
Thievery is all the same,
Money only the root of all evil,
When people are killed,
And left in dire straits,
To fend for themselves in poverty,
And in the pain of coldness,
Of a world without money.