Myths of Possession

Latinate or Mandarin,
The semantics of fortune,
Fú, entangle luck with wealth

In clouds of connotations
And echoing behaviors
Invoking prosperity.

There are other forms of luck,
Of course, other misfortunes
Than the blight of poverty,

But fortune as wealth, like wealth,
Is fungible as a coin,
As a credit on account,

Credit being another
Term that conjures a sweeping
Range of possibilities.

Actual wealth, actual
Fortunes are only access
To stashes of resources,

And stashes can only be
Held together by credit,
Fortunes in league with fortunes—

Believe me, I believe you,
And your tokens of belief.
Trust is magical thinking.

Worth is magical thinking.
Small wonder people invoke
Magical symbols of wealth

To try to lure good fortune,
Even as they ruthlessly
Work to exploit each other,

Since fú and fortune are both
Material possessions
And dark myths of possession.