In a violent world,
mankind invented the arts,
a compensating counterpart
to war, natural disasters
that ravaged our fragile spirits.
No earth creature more creative,
as we devised wondrous forms:
poetry, drama, dance, sculpture,
painting, music — folk, classical,
opera, pop, country, rap.
The gift of consoling sounds
multiplied over the years
until almost everyone
found what they liked to listen to.
And if audiences grey out
for the elite performing arts,
fewer and fewer will miss
Beethoven, Shakespeare, ballet,
as appreciative devotees
gradually lose interest,
as quality performers
turn talents elsewhere,
the classics not rewarding
artists hungry for fame, fortune,
diminishing stages
no longer attracting
the necessary dedication
of artistic efforts.
