Economic Poetry
I pun in stereo.
Kenneth Boulding wrote economic theory in the form of poetry. We loves Ken, oh yes we does.
Water is far from a simple commodity;
Water’s a sociological oddity.
Water’s a pasture for science to forage in;
Water’s a mark of our dubious origin.
Water’s a link with a distant futurity;
Water’s a symbol of ritual purity.
Water is politics, water’s religion;
Water is just about anyone’s pigeon.
Water is frightening, water’s endearing;
Water is more than mere engineering.
Water is tragical, water is comical;
Water is far from the Pure Economical.
So studies of water, though free from aridity;
Are apt to produce a good deal of turbidity.
- by Kenneth Boulding (1964)
Kenneth Boulding wrote economic theory in the form of poetry. We loves Ken, oh yes we does.
Water is far from a simple commodity;
Water’s a sociological oddity.
Water’s a pasture for science to forage in;
Water’s a mark of our dubious origin.
Water’s a link with a distant futurity;
Water’s a symbol of ritual purity.
Water is politics, water’s religion;
Water is just about anyone’s pigeon.
Water is frightening, water’s endearing;
Water is more than mere engineering.
Water is tragical, water is comical;
Water is far from the Pure Economical.
So studies of water, though free from aridity;
Are apt to produce a good deal of turbidity.
- by Kenneth Boulding (1964)