The Melodrama of Greed
Designed with a strong spoken-word feel, The Melodrama of Greed is a poetic dialogue that brings greed to life as an overdramatic voice while self-control stands as quiet authority.
MORAL & REFLECTION
Sharifah Francis
5/18/20261 min read
GG begins to speak.
I'm pining...
I long to taste and see -
that it is good.
I must have it.
Without it...
it isn't right.
I feel undressed.
Why?
Why do I long for it,
although I know that
I'm simply being greedy.
But...
I. Want. It.
I can't control these inner cravings.
How can you watch me
fall away...
from -
I dare not say it.
I weep;
weep with me.
Help this tortured soul.
A dragged pause lingers
between the two...
SC stares with incredulous eyes,
then words begin to fall:
"With all your colourful drama,
and your speech you will ignore,
put this in your preformance,
the art of self-control."
Then SC turns and walks away.
Reflection:
The Melodrama of Greed reflects on the human tendency to justify desire and the importance of grounding oneself in self control when emotions become overpowering.
In the poem, Greed shows us that temptation can often present itself not as something harmful, but as something emotional, justified, and even dramatic enough to seem deserving of sympathy. GG does not simply 'want'; it preforms wanting, turning craving into a kind of personal suffering that demands attention and validation.
SC, on the other hand, does not engage in emotional escalation but responds with calm restraint and perspective. This silence and simplicity suggest that self-control does not need to compete with excess. It simply stands firm and names it for what it is. The final exit of SC also reinforces the idea that discipline is not loud - it is decisive.