Poetry Jam

My line comes from George Gershwin’s ‘I got rhythm’. Thanks to Brian Miller for the prompt.

Who could ask for anything more?

Oliver Twist was hungry and poor;

A bowl of gruel to keep him fed,

Water to drink and a crust of bread -

Who could ask for anything more?

He had bad times, behind locked doors,

Days in the workhouse were hard,

Normal life to him was barred -

Should he wish for anything more?

Living  a life beyond the law,

With Fagin teaching him thieving,

Could he ever start believing

That he could search for anything more?

Human failing’s at the core

Of Charles Dickens’ well-known tale;

Oliver’s fate, once thought so frail,

Became a joy to him once more.

Oracle

The Oracle at Delphi conjures visions of grace and wisdom. An oracle foresees events and advises on effective ways to deal with them. An oracle is noble, commanding respect.

It has another meaning in Berkshire, UK. The Oracle in Reading is a large indoor shopping and leisure mall on three floors. It is situated on the banks of the River Kennet and has cinemas and restaurants to afford relief to weary shoppers.

It takes its name from a 17^th century workhouse once located on The Oracle site.

What puzzles me is how a workhouse and subsequently a temple to commerce can be 'associated with soothsaying. For its unfortunate inhabitants a workhouse foretold only abject misery and little hope of escape for no other crime than being poor.

Shops selling luxury ephemera perhaps forewarn of credit crunch and crash to those who have eyes to see. The revelation The Oracle affords is of a nation seduced by advertising to spend hard-earned money on things which are not necessities.

I understand the lure of 'retail therapy'. I do not understand why classical names are given to what is after all merely 'trade'.

Thank you to Laini and Megg for initiating and hosting this meme.

To see more interpretations please click here.