Ben Nardolilli, 2/8/2010

Current Occupation: Encyclopedia Q and A writer
Former Occupation: Camp Counselor, Porn Reviewer, Election Security Intern
Contact information: Benjamin Nardolilli is twenty four years old and lives Arlington, VA. Ben is a poet, novelist, short story writer, and occasional philosopher. His work has appeared in Perigee, The Oklahoma Review, Hawk and Handsaw, Heroin Love Songs, Farmhouse Magazine, One Ghana One Voice, The Maynard, Elimae, The Houston Literary Review and Perspectives Magazine. He maintains a blog at mirrorsponge.blogspot.com.

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Properties

Rent everything. The world
Passes from hand to hand,
With cash, with gold, with blood,
Nothing is owned forever.

Home, office, shop, and car,
All assets are liquid,
Time dissolves bonds
And what is held onto

It makes worthless,
Turning each object over
For black marks and ashes,
Material dreams to dust.

The market licks with waves
Around possessions,
It will plunder, it will splinter
And shatter deeds to deeds

Until it must be sold,
Or left by the side of the road,
It will raise prices
Until everything can be sold.

They are never satisfied,
Merchants raise your desire
So you might struggle
Inside their chains,

They do not prosper
By your contentment,
The market does not spin
Around hearts at rest.

Reject the expensive labyrinth,
Rent everything.
Or else the illusion
Of ownership owns you.