Compromise

What turns dark red to lighter pink?

And causes perfume to start to stink?

What changes sweet to musty sour,

And leads brave men to cringe and cower?

What turns the pure to an evil state,

And migrates love to bitter hate?

What morphs the true to something false?

What turns sure gain to draining loss?

What weakens strength and dulls the wise?

What tolerates half-truths and lies?

What undermines and slowly erodes,

And drains off health and surely corrodes?

What advocates minute dilution,

Till all that’s left is vile pollution?

What leads to truth’s sure clear demise,

Naught else but gradual compromise.

-George Bowers, Oct 2015