Climbing the More with Less Ladder

The effort to achieve goodness
stretches the most ambitious soul.
Faced with global warming,
the oil crisis and rampant materialism,
we can and do rise to the occasion.
We track our miles and kilometers
for every carbon footprint,
we pinch pennies,
we recycle and re-use,
we evaluate and re-evaluate
our time-saving, time-treasuring,
simple-life strategies.

Having scrambled our way up this hill of beans
we modestly pride ourselves in knowing a thing or two.
We shake our heads and exchange knowing looks
about all those prodigal sons and daughters
with their wasteful wanton ways.
We dispense tips, constructively,
to all who may not be as high up
on the more-with-less ladder.

News of the feast hits us like a wall . . .
extravagant lavishness,
over-the-top hospitality.
Our eyes wide as platters we exclaim,
“That fatted calf could have been sold
and the money given to the poor!
Don’t get me started on the gold rings!”
As the unsimple are welcomed into the kingdom,
our father pulls out a chair for us at the feasting table,
asking, with a smile, “Are you ready for grace?”