When one quietly observes
the way things move in our time,
it seems that those who play
in the high places
are making every effort
to conceal their playground
and the games they play there
from those below.
Perhaps it is only an illusion.
Yet the image of Olympus
comes to mind.
The gods,
drinking nectar
and feasting on ambrosia,
reveling among themselves—
and sometimes,
the king of the gods,
Zeus,
hiding his divine majesty,
descending to the earth
to seduce mortal maidens.
Whether in politics,
economics,
or culture,
those who stand in the higher places
rarely wish to show
their playground
or their games
to those beneath them.
Perhaps the reason is not
that their games are too noble,
but that they are
no different
from those of the common crowd—
or perhaps
even more vulgar.
You may clear away the filth,
but the smell
lingers for a long time.