The Daemon of the Market

The Shadow Jinn, with the blackened scales in hand
Weighs the copper, silver, gold; he gives and takes.
Whom he bestows glory upon
That man is rich, famous and honored.
Whom he withholds the grains of copper and gold
That man is obscure, and will die.

He controls all prosperity upon the Earth,
With the face of an old man and golden grill.
He is pale like the ashen remnants of fire,
And he is cold as the chilly February ice.

He bestows fortune upon whom he entrusts it,
And he withholds fortune upon whom he will not.

There is a story, old as the ancient days
That an Angel of great might will bind him
In a prison for one thousand years.
At that time, the scales will be in the hand
Of the just---for this Jinn controlled the world
For a time. And it is he who makes man destitute.
It is he who caused all the suffering in the world.