THE INVENTOR
Tesla dreamt the world that was meant to be
with free electricity and air cars,
but Edison, quite unfortunately,
was reaching into pockets, not for stars.
After a meager grant from old J. P.,
he began Utopia’s legacy;
Nobly naïve, Tesla gave it for free,
thus making this backer his enemy.
He could have left Westinghouse in ruin,
by contract, becoming a billionaire –
the world’s first one, a well deserved shoe-in –
but science was his one and only care.
He trusted finance to shrewd businessmen
like Westinghouse, Morgan and Edison.
Though probably apocryphal, once when Einstein was asked how it felt to be the smartest man alive, he replied. “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Nikola Tesla.”
BARD OF MARS 