Possession by C.J Dennis

Wild flowers within motor car radius of Melbourne are threatened with extinction, owing to the senseless depredations of greedy excursionists.

I find it hard to understand
The man who wanders through the land
   Seeing in beauty this alone:
   Some precious thing that he may own.
A field of bloom, a flowering tree
Breaks on his gaze, and instantly
   Greed wakes the predatory whine:
   "Ah, give me! Give me! It is mine!"

Down thro' the sylvan scene he swoops,
And in an hour each blossom droops;
   And, at his passing, beauty dies
   That might have blessed a thousand eyes.
Visions I have of fairies slain
Where he has trod, for no man's gain.

And not alone where blossoms smile
Does greed destroy all things worth while;
   For all in life that means so much
   Wilts at his devastating touch:
All beauty moulders to decay
Because, poor fool, he passed that way.

And so, until the world has learned
Content in beauty must be earned
   Thro' sharing heaven's bounteous joys,
   The predatory fist destroys
Ever the joys for all men meant;
And ever fails to find content.

First published in The Herald, 27 August 1930