Steffler's poem reveals the contradictory nature of society's values. The title of this piece suggests that this will be a cheesy poem about how "all we need is love," yet the first stanza speaks of a fatal flaw in our values. Because our "brains and hearts need to be nearly mush, the greatest currencies have all been versions of flint." We see this everyday - in the idolization of gold, the adoration of silver, and the acclaimed quality of crystal. We are a generation obsessed with money and the weapons that eventually kill us.
Steffler suggests that perhaps our mental weapons are of greater damage that any alloy we can "claim." He ends the poem with this rapidly repeating defect of culture: the desire to own everything. Greed begets greed, and want begets want. Enough is never enough...
Steffler suggests that perhaps our mental weapons are of greater damage that any alloy we can "claim." He ends the poem with this rapidly repeating defect of culture: the desire to own everything. Greed begets greed, and want begets want. Enough is never enough...