Money was initially created
As a means of exchange
An alternative to barter
Facilitating interchange

Then people realised
Of the unique benefits
Of hoarding some money
To take care of life, its titbits

In this process of discovery
Money continued to traverse
In people’s minds and hearts
Till it bordered on the perverse

Leading humans to believe
By throwing around some bills
Anything can be purchased
Happiness, morality, even ethics

What they learnt much later
That it is a double edged sword
While it gives, it takes much more
Peace of mind, values at the core

Humans chasing their bank balance
Which in turn builds their hubris
Accumulating, stumbling, accumulating again
While searching for happiness in the debris

Only a human can do this unto himself
Allowing a mere tool, a convenience
To take total control of his life
And become a slave to its jurisprudence

Subir Chakraborty / 21st March 2018