Gross Return

The bleating hasn’t stopped –
increases every day as more
decide to join the throng and
add their angry voices. Hey,
I cry, told you all along, why
the sudden discontent? Price of
oil is hurting families they say –
same was said ten years ago
is my reply, but did you make
allowances or listen then?

Supply is very much the same
though competition for each
drop has changed. Demand is
way beyond the mean excused
as rational in this day and age.
We’ve got to thank ourselves
for breeding more consuming
mouths to feed economies the
pundits say we need to grow to
keep ourselves afloat and free.

The key to better life is greater
change than growth sustained.
Fear of mass redundancy is real
enough where good is merely
termed a gross return, measured
not for quality or future years
but as exchange on current debt,
which, regrettably my friends,
whether good or bad or even
real – still has to be repaid.
© 19 June 2008, I. D. Carswell