Wanting
by S. L. Lipson
I am sick of mediocrity
and superficiality
and damn conditionality
rewarded by society,
more so than humble piety
or dignified sobriety,
or earnest dedication,
while valuable education
is devalued in this nation,
and money is equated
with all that’s highly rated
by teachers who have stated
that they define what’s best
with mere numbers on a test,
scores higher than the rest,
as if that is a measure
of what we all should treasure
over intangible pleasure—
like laughter shared with friends,
warm hugs that make amends,
mere awareness that transcends
the tangible into gratitude,
becoming a blessed attitude;
and this is no mere platitude!
It’s a call to all to reassess
the key to peace and happiness:
to value more while wanting less.
