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Rate this poem:5.0 / 5 votes

with increasing warmth water rises
up to the numbed people’s mouths
and the inflated money plops
like blown bubbles of soap
out of the stock hero’s reach

the praised god of great profit
worshipped for his fake promises
of fortune that can be bought
demands ever more sacrifices
it’s a gambling with blood

from the exalted balcony of power
cold eyes blindly stare on gold
viciously gained in cruel egoism
whereas those who are impecunious
will only spin sham threads

richly blessed the new emperor
whether it freezes or thaws
he will always stay floating
but those who put their trust in him
will proof nuder than ever before
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Submitted by ludy_b on May 02, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

32 sec read
601 Views

Ludy Bührs

 · Amsterdam

The topics she writes about are very diverse, so are the poetry styles she applies. As a Dutch translator and poet, having lived in Cambodia's capital city Phnom Penh for 2.5 years, in 2008 she published "Op de ruïnes van een rijk" (On the Ruins of an Empire) ISBN 978-90-8834-483-1 with 60 poems based on her experiences there. In 2007 she received a Certificate of Accomplishment as one of The Best Poems and Poets of 2007 issued by poetry.com and the International Library of Poetry for her poem Choked Truth, her own translation of "Verstikte waarheid", one of the poems in the book. Born in 1956, she still works as an independent translator, translating from English into Dutch. more…

All Ludy Bührs poems | Ludy Bührs Books

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Discuss the poem Collapsing Empire with the community...

8 Comments
  • Akinpet23
    Reality in tranquility.
    LikeReply1 day ago
  • twiztidsol69
    Wow
    LikeReply2 days ago
  • watson_haziee_25
    wowww
    LikeReply2 days ago
  • hillarywendorf
    Wow! Definitely feel that going on now!
    LikeReply 11 month ago
  • Symmetry60
    Of the cumulative thousands of years of those who have ruled a respective roost via career politics, I've found it peculiarly confounding how certain societal factions tend toward propaganda of far lesser stints in office - 4-years in America of its current POTUS -- as being at the foot of humanity's evils while dismissing the cumulative total of career politicians that brought society to where it currently resides. Hence, "Doing the same thing while expecting a different result" = insanity.

    Brainwashing has been rampant for as long as programmable humans have faltered. The effect has been made evident by humanity's current status. We either break the bonds of enslavement set before us or risk those preconceived fallacies that brought it about. Now is as good a time as any to start thinking for ourselves. The people of my nation, America, have awoken and spoken LOUD and CLEAR.

    As a brilliant Psychologist once stated: "Most people have been so brainwashed that they haven't an original thought to boast."
     
    LikeReply 21 month ago
  • ladyygracious
    Nice
    LikeReply1 month ago
  • crucifiedinhim2
    Well written even if I disagree in some ways, a good poem though
    LikeReply 11 month ago
  • mark.e.s
    I've made these same observations, and been hard-pressed to quell my feelings in reaction to these realities, particularly in recent times. As a human being I've brought my own self-evaluation into sharper focus in response, and have been moved to paying closer attention to what's going on in broader areas of my life's involvement, that at times I've wanted to ignore for the sake of my own emotionally stability, but that I know impact me and the decisions I make about myself. 
    LikeReply 11 month ago

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