Unlovely Impulses

What did envy ever do for you?

Like washing wool in hot water,

it shrank your soul. Self-shrivel.

Same goes for excess pride,

the striding great inflater, which

turns you into a boastful blimp

bound to bust up on rocks. 

Then there's greed, which morphs

your hands into grasping claws,

your mind into a maniacal mouse

in a maze, addicted to cheese.

Throw them out, reduce your

inventory of unlovely impulses.

You're the shopkeeper of your thoughts

and actions. Tidy up your shelves. 

Hans Ostrom 2024

Envy Isn't Good

So nobody's heard your song

yet. It's still a song. When envy

comes to town, trees droop,

crops fail, children in shops

wail for no reason, and traffic

boils. Surprise: you're alive.

And your oldest neighbor

sits in a chair outside, drinks

iced tea, sighs, feels free.

hans ostrom 2021