Citizen~by Paul F. Lenzi

 

 

Citizen

 

Plato told you of happiness
gods who look kindly on justice
rights and privileges
unjustly used carry nothing
of benefit unto to the soul
or the commerce of minds
institutional ethics are beautiful
means for the practice
of personal civics perfectible
plans for republics to come

but the state without virtue
perforce denies men
individual choices sufficient
to thrive when unethical
organs of governance trod
upon liberty happiness
suffocates modeling failure
ensuring great sorrow
falls over society
shrouding its future

in absence of kings with their
armies republics depend
for their ethics on frameworks
and functions designed by
their founders no more or less
garnished with power than
you one and all fellow citizens
what are the ethics you grant
to your governing architectonic
how willing are you to arrest
any veer from its principles