By Shem Onderi
The paradox of scarcity and abundance—
An absurd duality,
Dangerous to any society,
Perilous to the human soul.
Scarcity exposes; it deprives.
It strips the outer self bare,
Outgrows the human frame.
In scarcity, you crave more—
To earn, to get, to survive.
It is a demon, a cursed season
That humbles the proud.
In scarcity, the mind races—
Thinks, overthinks, rethinks—
A poor millionaire in thought.
The voice is soft,
But the hand is quick to grasp.
Little is spent, and always sparingly.
Scarcity awakens gluttony
Even in the lack of food.
In abundance,
You belch without care,
A feeling of fullness
Even in hunger.
Anger dissolves—
No hunger pangs,
No craving for meals.
There is fear of obesity,
A hesitation to eat more.
Abundance is soft life—
No hard thinking,
No urgent need.
The voice grows heavy, indulgent.
In abundance,
Governments use surplus for incentives,
Stores overflow—
A safeguard against tomorrow’s need.
But even here,
Fear of excess arises.
Scarcity and abundance—
Each draws conflict in its own way.
You cannot escape both,
Only move between them
In life’s shifting tide.