The Sunday Times Rich List

The Sunday Times Rich List

The rich love to boast

Of their gifts to charity,

But when do you hear

That the poor’s charity

To the rich has been publicized?

The poor give them yachts;

The poor give them gold;

The poor give them diamonds;

The poor exercise

Massive self-restraint

In not killing the show-offs

Who impoverish them.

Yet when are they thanked?

And which of those listed admits,

‘I’m rich

because I steal from people,

Because I rip them off’?

Each year the Rich List –

A Rogues’ Gallery of insane hoarders –

Includes even fatter fat cats

Dying to be loved

For themselves alone,

Or for their painless donations –

A display behaviour

Designed to gain kudos,

But which allows them to go on

Being repulsively rich

By disarming their critics:

‘Look at us. We’re nice.

We’ve given stuff away.

Please don’t hurt us.

Please don’t eat us.’

Although, if they’re so touchingly selfless,

Why do they still lurk about

Posing for photos of themselves

In the Richer and Richer Rich List

Year in and year out…?

Modeling for the ‘Greed Is Good’

Manifesto for plutocracy…?

When the opposite’s the truth:

Only goodness is good.

Heathcote Williams

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