Where may guile walk
But within the hour of deception?

Where may cunning awaken
But at the dawn of deceit?

The insincere accumulation
Wealth gained without merit
Avarice for advancement
Family name for hubris
Honor for shame
Tradition for currency
Legacy for advantage
Word for reputation

Not born of shrewd duplicity
But fired by the weakness
Of man
In desperation
To elevate his own life
Above that of his mortality
And his fear
Of dying alone
With no mark
Or memory preserved