Money Animal Poem by john tiong chunghoo

razor sharp cannines
that can tear through
the toughest frame
and legs that can run
faster than any animals
and the jaguar falls into
a physique to become
a jaguar and not a man

the god writes couplets
for souls to choose
what they would love to be

a brain that can be
worked to do wonders
but his legs, his hands
his phsiques are no match
for even a horse

a permanent home for cover
he carries his house here, there and
everywhere, his food in the streams
and rivers and the soul thinking of
only an ever ready house plunges for it
to be our slow walking turtle, tortoise

two wings to fly away from attacks
a voice to mersmerise the world
and the field for food and the soul
plunges into them to be eagles, thrush
and sparrows to carry our fantasies to fly

poor soul, the mind
that could do wonders
thrown to the winds

poorer still, the soul
who plunges into a man
who then chooses
to carry a flag that shouts
money above all else

and there an animal
runs here, there, everywhere
for the papers he thinks
could fly him everywhere
buy home, buy food,

they buy almost anything
couplets written by his
own homo sapiens

the mind that can do wonders
now lies like other species
getting a lot less than they should get

if only this poem will wake
up that mind to let the man
realise he is more than a money animal
a limitation he imposes on himself
a gravest short change