Greed In Disguise

Poem written by Glenys

I attended a really thought-provoking seminar about peace, and unexpectedly, it introduced me to Greed.

For the first time, I saw what greed actually is. Greed isn't always loud. It doesn't always come with obvious corruption. Sometimes it wears the face of self-preservation, or hides in the quiet questions of doing what we have to for survival.

In a chaotic world, where life feels like a constant comparison of gameplans, we often, mistake fear for wisdom. The lines are blurred and greed becomes the quiet driver behind our choices.

So let me unveil greed's disguise. Here is the poem it inspired.

Greed In Disguise

It starts so small.

A whisper, not a war cry.

A “just in case,”

A “what if,”

A “why not me?”

A "me, myself and I,"

It wears ambition like perfume,

Fragrant but choking.

Cloaks itself in hustle —

In survival,

In "I’ve got to eat too..."

And who can blame us?

The world's currency is chaos,

Screaming for more,

Rewarding the loudest,

The fastest,

Charging like the bull of Wall Street.

So we lie,

We cheat,

We guard what’s “ours”—

Not out of malice,

But fear disguised as wisdom.

Greed doesn’t always look ugly.

Sometimes, just sometimes,

It looks like safety.

Like peace to avoid rejection.

Like success.

Like “I’ve earned this.”

Competing for self-idolised achievements.

But piece by piece,

It hollows the heart.

Turns hands meant to give

Into fists that clutch.

It numbs us —

Until hunger becomes a habit

And generosity feels foolish and way too risky.

And still…

We tell ourselves, "it is well",

"We’re good".

"We’re kind".

"We’re doing what we have to".

Because chaos is the currency now,

And greed?

Well—

It’s just the way things are.

Just the way things are...

Is this the way things are?

#poem #reflection #inspire