But what of those who lack the wherewithal
To cultivate the techniques of enjoyment
Is it not so that basic needs must come before
The pleasures of philosophy

Many a philosopher has glorified the ascetic path
A dead end unless it’s freely chosen
For it is the path of self-denial
And not of the chance effects of political economy

Does justice therefore require renunciation
Of all pleasure since it’s denied to some
No it cannot be
That one simply chooses coldness to beauty or to truth

But indulgence in sick pleasure abounds
Notably the taste for violence
Or just as bad for sybaritic luxury
While a single child goes hungry