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Abuse and Decline

Ludy Bührs

all self-declared rulers just arrived
wealth gained from cruel exploitation
still make those who are deprived
fight wars destructing their nation

in all empires that came to an end
people were paying forcedly
taxes and dues to aristocracy

our new leaders like to pretend
they are not as corrupted but
power’s balance is still disrupted

peace and prosperity will never last
as long as some can claim it all
whilst others in the power cast
considered born of inferior stall
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Submitted by ludy_b on October 08, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

24 sec read
328

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDX CXX EDED
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 462
Words 80
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 3, 3, 4
Full analysis for Abuse and Decline »

Ludy Bührs

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…

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Discuss the poem Abuse and Decline with the community...

7 Comments
  • talygarza
    talygarza
    I find this poem genuinely interested in the human problem of social inequality, and as a backdrop the decline of certain order or way of life.
    LikeReply 115 days ago
  • PriscillaKing
    PriscillaKing
    Indeed! That's why bigger government will never be better government... government will always become just one more group who want to "have more" if not "have it all."

    Good rhymes, too. 
    LikeReply 118 days ago
  • adognut
    adognut
    This poem expresses the history of the known world. Good poem, sad theme.
    LikeReply 118 days ago
  • amandak.45897
    amandak.45897
    I feel this! Great writing and emotion!
    LikeReply 118 days ago
  • Demerye
    Demerye
    Wonderful word play
    LikeReply 119 days ago
  • JokerGem
    JokerGem
    The fortunes of a few mean less for the rest.
    Seems you are hitting on power and social struggles which are emblematic of humans since civilization began.
    Quite concise and on-point Ludy.
    LikeReply 119 days ago
  • RyanBlackborough
    RyanBlackborough
    I completely agree. I made a quote about it.
    "The nature of those who seek power is not to serve but to serve themselves".
    I really wish more people understood this perspective, or at least didn't explain it away by saying "that's just how it is". None of us are allowed to say the same in defence of our own actions and how we wish to live our lives though.
    We're essentially pets. 
    LikeReply 119 days ago

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"Abuse and Decline" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/111622/abuse-and-decline>.

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