How slight the shift from want to need
Coveting what others own
Delighting in another’s groan
How slight the shift from want to need
Coveting what others own
Envy’s seed takes root and grows
Leaving us in Satan’s throes
Coveting what others own
Envy’s seed takes root and grows
Jealousy leads down a perilous path
Earning family and friends’ wrath
Envy’s seed takes root and grows
Jealousy leads down a perilous path
How slight the shift from want to need
Use deceit and lies to assuage greed
Jealousy leads down a perilous path
How slight the shift from want to need
Coveting what others own
Delighting in another’s groan
How slight the shift from want to need
The above poem is a Catena Rondo. The term rondo refers to a repeating line or theme and such is the case with this form. There are any number of quatrains (4 line stanzas) with a rhyme scheme of A/b/b/A where the first and last lines of the stanza are identical. In addition the second line of the stanza becomes the 1st line of the following stanza. This is repeated until the last stanza which is identical to the first stanza… If is sounds confusing just look a little more closely at the poem and it all becomes clear!
Most of what I write is prompted by some life experience and this one is no exception. The season of gift giving and greed is upon us. I cringe when I think of parents attempting to salve their guilt or make amends for divorce by going into debt. The idea of an extravagant holiday was always tempered by the budget. Fortunately that was also the way Sparky was reared. When the boys were little we made a point of distinguishing between want and need. It made many decisions easier and provided a palatable explanation for the inevitable question of “why”. Soon they would express a want instead of a need. They caught on that needs would be provided without question but wants had to be justified and reasonable. They needed new shoes – done. They needed a drink of water – no question it was immediately provided. They needed a Gameboy – (insert sound of needle skidding across a vinyl record) wait one cotton picking minute! Please explain how a Gameboy is essential for your health, education, growth, or spiritual well-being. I have smart kids. They were told that we (the parental units) were not spending money on an expensive toy and that when they moved out of the house and were earning their own living they could spend their money however they saw fit. That didn’t mean that wants were disregarded. It meant that wants, when provided were special gifts. This was of course not a one time discussion. We had regular discussions on the repercussions of confusing need and want. In the end they grew up and bought their own gaming systems. They also learned the difference between want and need and as a bonus they developed a mind set that allows them to cope with delayed gratification. Neither one is in debt. They have been able to save and then judiciously spend their money. Unlike some of their friends whose parents failed to use that most useful word in the parental vocabulary – NO.
Blogmas entry: The Christmas when the boys were still young enough to consider that Santa might be real, Sparky made soccer goals. They were designed to be taken apart for storage but we wanted to have them assembled for Christmas morning. They were huge. So he put them up on the roof very early in the morning and it started to snow. We wrote them a letter “from Santa” and put it under the tree. It said that there was a gift that wouldn’t fit down the chimney so he left it on the roof. They were a little skeptical but the snow had obliterated all of Sparky’s foot prints on the ground. On the roof you could just make out a few footprints and what looked like sleigh runner tracks (from the ladder). They were convinced that Santa was real – at least for another year…
A Different Perspective 