Value

Cruelty is not natural.
It is taught and learned
and that,
too often by experience.

We are not amoral.

We usually know what is right,
are more often certain
about what,
to our mind, is not.

Fear often forces the will.
It, too, is learned,
often beaten in with a stick.

Like a dog we howl,
bare our teeth, tuck our tail,
even bite.

With the help of guns,
we can actually engage in killing
and, because of wealth,
don't have
to do the killing ourselves.

We can hire a killer.
Our value is
the highest price paid by a bidder.