Crude.

You're in Saudi control;
you're
a slave
to the pump.

This spill won't be
the last
to give you
the jump.

It's the reason
why
Nigerians
live
in such squalor.

It's the reason
why
you fret
over
the worth
of the dollar.

It provides you with
a guarantee
that
you'll see
your food.

Why don't you
just
admit it:
you're
a slave
to the crude.

It's in between your fingers;
it's all
in your mouth.

It's all over the map:
east, west,
central
and south.

It's even up north -
in Albertan
tar-pit sands.

It's the reason why
Iraqis
were killed
on their own land.

It's the peril in the pot
and the grease
for the
silver lining;

no one
can see
the signs
when
minds
stop shining.

It's the maker
of our fortune
and the ender
of our times.

We have
all the right technology,
but not
the willingness
of mind.