In a covered wagon he travelled west
For every ailment he had a cure
His miracle oil he claimed was the best
People he conned were the sick and the poor.
In remote towns he would set up his scam
Helped by two' friends' in the crowd for his trick
Who' volunteered' but were part of the sham
Arthur the cripple and poor sighted Mick.
But they were fed up of his trickery
And exposed him to the crowd in the town
The conman shouted" Mick what can you see"?
Mick said "nothing, I heard Arthur fall down"
Snake oilman was speechless and he went pale
The townsfolk seized him and threw him in jail.
Written on 30th December 2018
There is no doubt I've toiled, but my labor bore its fruit.
My struggles were anointed by success and earthly gains.
I met a wondrous woman and love grew from a deep root,
into a blossoming family, under God's soft, gentle rains.
The Church is still my stronghold, my castle—on a cloud?
It is the center of my purpose, though doubts rear time to time.
Yet I am molded from my distant youth, and proud,
to add my own hum to the organ's mighty rhyme.
My tools are decades-old techniques: pulling dragons from the ground.
We still need the energy, though the time of carbon wanes.
My father was an oilman, but my son must search around.
I wonder where his energy, in twenty years hence strains.
I am a pawn in history, unworthy of a name, yet—
I think I have won the race ... or none have, I have met.
22 April 2017
Written for "YOU 20 Years From Now" contest, sponsored by Brenda Chiri
D. Oil
By
Tom Wright
A wealthy Texas oilman named Doyle,
Made his millions while drilling for oil.
With each well he saw blow,
He experienced cash flow,
Assuring him not once would he toil.
Tainted Oilman Hayward, geologist-in-chief
Oddly opined amidst deep misery and grief
He said the oil spill would have a modest impact
Did not want the “small people” to over-react
Yachtsman saw a “tiny” leak in the “big ocean”
Wanted to stop the oil spill, without commotion
Did not grasp the urgency of the Gulf Coast plight
Until the president said you will “make it right”
Then, he agreed the spill caused “massive disruption”
Touched his own life, with a massive interruption
Frustrated Hayward said he wanted his life back
While oil spill victims tried to keep their lives on track
His self-serving words invoked disbelief and wrath
Spread swiftly and portended his demotion path
After facing lawmakers on Capitol Hill
Hayward flew to London for a yacht racing thrill
Gulf Coast residents became extremely upset
They could not relax while the oil was still a threat!
Rebuked and scorned in each befuddled Gulf Coast town
The embattled yachtsman was ordered to stand down
Hayward got his life back, in a timely fashion--
More free days to pursue his yacht racing passion
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