SUNSHINE AND SHADOW

To those who

Regularly matter-of-fact, enjoy
Two over-sized cars, Aspen ski-lodge
Spacious summer house splendid by the sea's
Challenging leap of blue marlins
Dying magnificently in the Gulf Stream ;
Consume balls of Jamaican sunshine
Dissolved in pink rum; feel driven
To keep psychiatrists as pets --
Life is complex, poised between
A calculus of work and tedium.

For those who

Seasonally persuade the earth,
Harvest with a sickle, pluck coffee,
Mine rubies, diamonds, gold,
Pray for rain then suffer floods
Yet thankful that six children survive
The long hard darkness of each day;
Sew patchwork, embroider soft linen,
Stitch brief or diaphanous gowns
For dames in Paris , London , New York --
Life is simple, singular, deadly.
 
Work ethic?

Edwin Thumboo

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