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Saturday, February 8, 2014

Ode to an Ad

We found an ad that shows a farmer
Surveying vast worlds of green.
Far away a lowly mountain
Bows before his stern, commanding
Gaze. All’s in order, all’s control
Here, endless rows and rows and rows
Of green extend out to a vague,
A dim horizon. This isn’t nature,
It’s something more, a kind of manmade
Screen where every gene is modified
And only bits of puffy cloud
Exhibit in a timid and thus halting
Manner a touch of spontaneity.

The theme is “How the world advances,”
 (To where, one wonders, to what end?)
The way has naught to do with
Fertilizers, genetic tricks
Or weed control—though such are quite
Visible here. Rather, to our
Surprise, the deeper secret of
Control, the right to gaze emperor-like
Over a great domain, lies in tight reins
Held in firm hands over Invisibles
Like price of crops, the weather, and
The satanic dance of interest rates—
All achieved by riding on a relatively
Newly-crafted magic carpet—
Trading on the derivatives market.

1 comment:

  1. I hope they invited this dude to the ceremony when Obama, Stabenow, et al signed the new Farm Bill in Lansing.

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