DON'T WORK TOO MUCH

There was once a man named Aditya,
who was always friendly and kind.
But he lost all of his scruples,
by working all of the time.

Where time with family had been
came antipathy, instead.
Where time with friends had been
there came disdain to bed.

But things were not always so.
There was a time
when he liked
daffodil-lined fields,
and playing ring-around-the-rosie.
Sharing smiles with friends.

But ambition had curdled his blood,
and weariness had ground him down,
He'd forgotten what it meant to smile,
and had grown used to his own frown.

When he looked in the mirror,
he could see only his dull eyes,
and could not remember
what they looked like when they were bright.

Smiles were for fools,
rest was for the weak,
art was a waste of time,
and dreams were just for sleep.

He dreamt once for kisses,
and now yearned only for rest,
for a break from the ambition
that resided in his breast.

But noblesse oblige,
and with greatness
came great responsibility.
So he strove to end world poverty,
and starved
the souls of his own family.

A fool's errand,
to try and change the world --
which ended only in broken hearts
and men with broken souls.

It was the same old yarn
purveyed by romantics from years afore;
now tormenting the successors,
as their forebearers before.

So follow his example not,
to ground yourself to dust:
spend time with your family instead,
and don't work too much.

Copyright Š2011 Ashi Shadow - Finished April 18th 2011, started April 16th.

Notes: I like the word purvey, it's nice when I can slip in a good word subtly while making a poem with simple words.
Forebear is a pun which I doubt anyone caught :)
"Forbear" means to cease OR to bear, and "Fore-bearer" is not a real word but would mean the person who held the burden before (yet has ceased to!).