Song of the Powers

“Song of the Powers” by David Mason was an interesting poem that left a the reader with a simple moral or lesson. Mason’s poem is basically a simple description if rock paper sissors. He uses rock, paper, and scissors to represent those who hold power. Mason puts it like this, “As stone crushes scissors, as paper snuffs stone and scissors cut paper, all end alone.” This basically shows how those with power are in a fight against each other for more power, but in the end, however powerful one may be, they are now all alone. I think one of the strongest messages this leaves, is that power isn’t a very good thing and it should be shared, and maybe the best power is the power of unity and the power to refrain from greed and the need for all power. Mason makes it clear that there is that fight for power by the use of “mine” to begin the first three stanzas. Each stanza changes to the different object (rock, paper, scissors), but always starts with mine and then continues by describing the destruction of the other objects. An example of the greed and need for power looks like this, “Mine, said the stone, mine is the hour. I crush the scissors, such is my power. Stronger than wishes, my power, alone.” With any kind of power that is obtained there is always that want for more, and like the poem, “they all end alone.” At the end of the day, it is easier to share power than fight for only one to hold that power, for they will just end up alone and probably powerless when it is all said and done…