Minimalism

- less is more!

Written late February 2009 - (156 lines)

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Most people probably still assume
That we must increase our stake
We are all told daily we must consume -
Come on, give us a break!

Keeping two or three cars at a time
Is little but vanity
And owning more than one house is a crime
Against humanity -

Unless of course you invite someone
To live in such houses rent-free
So you can justify what you have done
Through some charity

Now, if stimulated properly
In every city and town
The manipulated property
Prices would soon come down -

To the immediate assistance
Of those left out in the cold
Who can only watch from the distance
As their lives are put on hold -

By developers who speculate
And exploit the common greed
For fast appreciating real estate
Ignoring those most in need -

Creating more problems for the common man
Who worries: "Will it ever stop?"
Read the small print: values CAN
Go down as well as up!

And so can, and do, exchange rates!
When that market gasps for air
Only more cash resuscitates -
Foreign owners beware!

Economists lecture at expensive courses
That are easy to understand:
It is all about free market forces
Supply and demand

Oh really? But I have come to the view
That to get out of the mess
Of boom and bust cycles, what we must do
Is all use less

If you have never done it before
Keep track now of what you spend
But less of everything is more
For everyone in the end

Having made my decision, it is less for me
Together let us stop the rot
Most important, use less energy
Renewable or not

A former software specialist
Flying high and enjoying the show
I chose to become a minimalist
Many years ago

No longer looking for trouble to shoot
I gave up the mad pursuit
Replacing my briefcase and business suits
With rucksack and climbing boots

I sold my house, then my sailing yacht
As befits a down-sizing man
Today all the earthly things I have got
Fit in a caravan

No shiny plastic-fantastic, true
Nor a beauty to behold
It is not exactly brand-spanking new
But around thirty years old

Yes, I could have bought a different one
Bigger, better, newer
But have you noticed as we move on
Our days are getting fewer

So wake up now and become aware
Of what really matters
And pity the multi-millionaire
With his only soul in tatters!

Now, this caravan was just sitting there
And it appealed to me
Badly neglected, it required some care
Best of all - it was free!

Eleven square metres approximately
Room to stand up and fall
The furniture is built-in, so you see
No need to shop for it all

There is somewhere to sleep and wash and feed
In the Wordsmith's hide-out haunt
Somewhere to sit and write or read -
What more do you want?

Having rolled out my bedding, I burst out: "Aha!
It is big enough for two!"
So if a young pretty Muslimah
Has nothing better to do -

With her time and life she could marry me
And inshallah we would see
Before very long the two would be three -
A happy family!

Little things I soon improved
To make it more functional
And the very first thing that I removed
Was the TV aerial!

I added utensils, a few pots and pans
And, if they can stand the windchill
I hope to add as part of my plans
A solar panel and windmill -

To generate my own electricity
And so be independent
Of the all-powerful monopoly
Whose profits are mis-spent

And as for water I will collect
The regular falling rain
The company will turn up to inspect
And send bills in vain

I put in the space meant for whisky and beers
Clothes for wind, rain and sun
Three boxes of books and some souvenirs -
Surely plenty for anyone

Last, my computer, which to be frank
I would rather be without
But my website, could I really crank
It all out by hand? I doubt!

So I accept my little PC
As a tool but no more than that
Should you be online and come across me
No time for idle chat!

If you need more room just open the door
And walk right outside
If it is not raining, you understand, for
At such times I stay inside

And should I wish to travel far
It has wheels so could be towed
Behind any more or less normal car
And disappear down the road -

To another place for some other time
Maybe never to return!
Dreaming is free and not yet a crime
And most bridges would burn!

I like my old caravan, so let
Me say it once again
There is room for it all, plus, how could I forget
The sounds of Beethoven!

Minimalism sets you free
Of the material chains
And surely even the blind can see
It is you that gains

Minimalism gives you time to think
And spurs you on with the prod
To explore and re-establish the link
With the one and only God

Minimalism is the way ahead
Not just for me but most
So do it now for when you are dead
You will have even less than a ghost

You may well have financed the rockets
Taking tourists to the moon
But remember there are no pockets
In the shroud they will wrap you in soon

For then it will be immaterial
What you owned and when and why
It is whether you set a good example
That will matter when you die...

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Copyright © 2009 - IBRAHEEM (O.E.H.Johansen) - All Rights Reserved