Midas Touch in Reverse

 

 

No doubt you have heard

Of the Midas touch

And perhaps this is why some people

Have so much.

 

Everything they touch

Just turns to gold

Metaphorically like silly Midas

Back in days of old.

 

He had done a favour

For someone with power

And he was granted his request

That very hour.

 

Everything he touched

Just turned to gold

And with his newly given ability

He became quite bold.

 

The twigs, the flowers

And even his food,

Midas turned them all into gold,

Oh, what a fool!

 

His daughter was hurt

By what he had done

For re the fresh smell of the flowers,

There was now none.

 

 

She ran to her father

In her obvious distress

And she was instantaneously added

To his treasure chest.

 

All of this I have stated

To provide the context

Regarding Midas touch in reverse

And why I am vexed.

 

Having the Midas touch

Is akin to success

But here in the Caribbean gem

The touch is stress.

 

 

Especially for the poor

And the poorer still,

Legislation has become a gun

Aiming to kill.

 

Passed with utmost speed

To de-tint and wire tap

As well as the cyberspace law-

Another thunderclap.

 

And who feels the brunt

But the weak and the poor?

And the hefty fines and penalties

Will hurt even more.

 

Some have the right

To their esteemed privacy

Such as top government officials

And the wealthy.

 

But for the poor

It’s Midas touch in reverse

As these hasty bits of legislation

Become their curse.

 

Supposedly as stated

To fight increasing crime

But how they are going about it

Really boggles my mind.

 

Deft deflections, I’d say,

To hide the real problem,

Meanwhile, a lot of rhetoric

But no solution.

 

A touch here

Another touch there,

Reforming this, reforming that,

Confusion everywhere.

 

Reversed Midas touch

Is no change to gold

But rather, I unapologetically say,

Nothing but mold.

 

 

I speak of mildew,

Metaphorical and real

That’s undoing and blocking out

The gains we’ve made.

 

Evolving someone said,

Explaining the change

But in actual fact as we can see,

It’s rather strange.

 

Morals are adrift

Roots being uprooted,

Long held land marks are obscured

And the church muted.

 

Economic depression

Passed off as improving

While the populace revel more

Jiving and grooving.

 

 

All that glitters

Is definitely not gold

And this mistaken Midas touch

Is graveyard mold.

 

Stewart Russell © August 16, 2025