If You Give a Rat a Dollar

It’s not a good idea To give a mouse a cookie But it’s an even worse idea To give a rat a dollar. If you give a rat a dollar It soon justifies taking more Rats band together to create An income tax and tax rats who hunt for financial facts. If you give a rat a dollar, It’ll start making loans all over, Making money with money. Did you know usury is dirty in heaven? If you give a rat a dollar It will threaten you for more Foreclosure, court seizure, reposition; Rats, jackals, hyenas, rabid dogs Find their way onto the payroll To be bankers, lawyers, and repo crews. If you give a rat a dollar And all the rats together Create a speculative bubble. Rats landing in hot water Claw the faces and eyes Of mother, fathers, granny and grandpa too Gouging from their flesh sustenance Because rats convinced us “They’re too big to fail” If you give a rat a dollar It’ll make a great big pile And laugh when you ask for help So the rat gives you a score So all rats know how well you’re trained To give them dollars forevermore If you give a rat a dollar It will only expect more Do you hear them crawling? Through walls, under floors, Around the corner, in the bushes, At your work, at your schools, At the store, in the churches. Why oh why did anyone Give these damn rats anything. J. Niles