Comment from Pearl Edwards

Excellent

This is what I'd call a thought provoking Acrostic poem Craig, and I would say we certainly could do with a bit more cooperation among our species at the moment. Nice one Craig,
cheers,
valda

 Comment Written 20-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 20-Nov-2019

Thanks so much for the kind comments, Valda. We most certainly could. Cheers, Craig

Comment from Raffaelina Lowcock

Excellent

Success isn't always reached on the backs of others. True success is when you find a company whose employees have been with them, sometimes from the start. You then know, these people have practiced mutualism. There aren't that many, I'll admit.
Aside from that your poem is very nicely composed and its message portrayed as intended with the presentation of a beautiful picture.

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 18-Nov-2019

Very few, indeed. Thanks for the kind and thoughtful review. Craig

Comment from Debbie Pope

Exceptional

I'm glad that I am reading your posts early in the week when I have six stars available. This is a strong acrostic. It's got a good message, and your word choices are interesting like "one-percenters," "paying the piper's fee,"
"fiver," and "mutualism."
This poem brings to mind another poem that you wrote on symbiosis. It had a similar theme, and you won with it. I wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't win as well.

 Comment Written 17-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Wow, you do have an excellent memory, Debbie. You know, I don't recall the title or how that one went, or what style it was; though I do remember the image - it was a clown fish and an anemone. I'd better go back and make sure I haven't done almost the same thing again. Thanks for the kind words and the glowing stars and also for remembering! Cheers, Craig

reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Well, duh! It was actually called "Symbiosis". No wonder I had trouble recalling the name! It was a six word poem, and easily different enough that I don't need to be worried about plagiarising myself. Phew!

reply by Debbie Pope on 17-Nov-2019

Even though you have given me enough worries tonight about my husband, I did not mention Symbiosis to keep you up with worry. It was just memorable.

reply by Debbie Pope on 17-Nov-2019

I am forever starting to write a poem, and then I start wondering if I have already written it. I often write from notes, and I forget to delete used notes. It's a sad state of affairs.

reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

LOL

I do hope you know I was just yanking your chain. I'm sure he is the salt of the Earth, just like my other half who has watched every blood and gore, nightmare inducing film ever made, and could name every serial killer that's ever been, along with all their known victims and the gory details of each crime. But I'm sure she'd never harm a fly, and I've learned to sleep very lightly ;-)

reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Also, I never take a mouthful of dinner unless I've prepared it, or I watch her take a bite first!

reply by Debbie Pope on 18-Nov-2019

You should write more about your wife, and I could do the same with stories about Pat. I've got a million of them.

Comment from BeasPeas

Excellent

Hi Craig. This is a well written acrostic from your POV. Of course you know mine's the opposite and I'm by no means wealthy. It's the rich who are the risk-takers, philanthropists, drivers of the economy, and job makers. The new trend toward socialism is troubling. The 1%-ers pay the highest tax rate here in the States. The new crop of socialist candidates running for prez want to confiscate wealth, not income. It's not the same thing. Those who have the drive to accomplish something in life shouldn't be penalized for it. Marilyn

 Comment Written 17-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Well, I have to beg to differ, Marilyn. The people I know who are most generous are those who have little themselves. It doesn't cost anyone much to give away even a few billion, if they have hundreds of billions. The rich are, by and large, concerned with lining their own pockets, and don't care how they do it. That even goes for the millennial billionaires. I'm not poor enough myself to ever benefit, even a cent, from the hard-earned wages of others, but I've no time for trickle-down doo-doo. When people who hardly have enough for themselves can be so generous towards their fellow humans, I've no time for greed. I've especially no time for a generation of us "oldies" who are stealing the future of our children and grandchildren because looking after the planet would result in a dollar or two less in our pockets.

As always, I have no objection to you speaking your mind when reviewing, it would be a horrible old world if we were all Stepford-Wife type clones.

Thanks again,
Craig

reply by BeasPeas on 17-Nov-2019

Once the gov starts to confiscate anything, where does it stop? It doesn't! Americans will find that out if a socialist gets elected. Nobody will have anything and the economy will totally tank.

The bigger picture is that bureaucrats will determine the fate of the individual and that isn't freedom. I'm no fan of politicians. They will make sure they feather their own nest at the expense of everyone else and freedom flies out the window. No one should take what belongs to another, and that's what politicians do. Scary stuff.

reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

What have the "socialists" threatened to confiscate?

reply by BeasPeas on 18-Nov-2019

Guns and property wealth. Property wealth (assets in addition to income) will be evaluated by the gov. Whatever value they assess will require taxes paid on that amount. The gov is so bloated, they can't tell their a-- from their elbow. Socialism requires big gov. God knows it's big enough already. You can believe they would devalue their own assets, though, to avoid giving anything up themselves. Socialism is not something Americans want. This election and future ones will determine if we can stay solvent or become another Venezuela.

reply by the author on 18-Nov-2019

I had a feeling you'd say guns. The sooner the better, unless you think over 1,000,000 dead Americans due to firearms abuse is a good thing.

As for the assets tax, that isn't something I'd have a problem with in and of itself, although I think it would need to be very carefully designed. As a hypothetical (but by no means extreme) example, there are plenty of people in your country and mine who own cars by the dozen, literally. Who needs 20 cars? If I can get by with *only* 19 cars, and some child doesn't go without a meal for a year, wouldn't that be a good thing? Or should I cry because someone took away my hard-earned 20th car?

Nobody *needs* extreme, outrageous wealth when there are people who sleep in the street and starve to death. I would be in favour of such a system -- in fact it already exists in the form of sliding tax scales. Yes, care needs to be taken to ensure that hard work is rewarded, and people have a right to do well for themselves. But there are limits to everything, and no one needs a house on every continent or their own personal fleet of private jets.

Comment from juliaSjames

Exceptional

This is an exceptional write that happens to be an acrostic. I wasn't aware of the term mutualism before. Wish you the best in the contest.

"Lost, their soul, for one more fiver,"

Here I assume you're referring to their collective soul.

Blessings Julia

 Comment Written 17-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Thanks so much for the delightful rating, the very kind comments and the good wishes, Julia. Yes, there is a subtle difference. I think either "souls" or "souls" works. Soul is what originally came out, and as you say, implies a collective. I think that helps emphasise it's not simply a case of an individual here and there, but more of an elitist class. Most grateful, Craig

reply by juliaSjames on 17-Nov-2019

Yes I agree Craig. Hope the judging committee appreciates subtlety. Your acrostic is short but packs a heavyweight punch

JJ

Comment from Sandra du Plessis

Excellent

A very well-written acrostic poem about being equal. Unfortunately, life arounspd us is about ranks, status, and many misuse of power positions that are feed by greed.

 Comment Written 17-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Thanks very much, Sandra. I appreciate your continued support. Cheers, Craig

Comment from Bill Schott

Excellent

This acrostic poem, OPULENCE, follows the vertical theme and finds that today's economic pyramid has the Uber rich b3ing carried by the greater masses. Time, perhaps,not turn that on its head.

 Comment Written 17-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Thanks very much, Bill. The pyramid analogy is a good one. Cheers, Craig

Comment from Alex Rosel

Excellent

I like the root word you've chosen for you acrostic poem. And I enjoyed the read.

If this was mine, I might think of revising "mutualism" to "altruism". The two have slightly different meanings, and I think the latter is the more apt here. Just personal preference...

I wish you the best of luck when the contest is judged {smiles}.

 Comment Written 17-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Thanks for the kind comments, the good wishes and the suggestion. I agree that altruism is a desirable trait, but I wished to contrast two different types of symbiosis, as explained in the footnotes, hence the choice of word. I also think working together for mutual good is less of a step for some than acting purely out of concern for someone else. Much appreciated, though. Cheers, Craig

Comment from Sugarray77

Excellent

Hello Craig. This is a poem full of insight and description written by someone with the ability to see a bigger picture... you! Very well put together and a splendid entry for this contest. Well done.'

Melissa

 Comment Written 17-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Thanks so much for the lovely comments, Melissa. Much appreciated, Craig

Comment from Sharon Haiste

Excellent

I think this is a good entry for the Acrostic Poetry contest.
Your verse spells and describes Opulence very nicely.
Well done and good luck to you with the contest.
Sharon

 Comment Written 17-Nov-2019

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reply by the author on 17-Nov-2019

Thanks very much for the kind comments and good wishes, Sharon. Most appreciated, Craig