Rich Or Poor

The smiles of children stamped in the mint of memory are the coin of the realm of happiness!

 

My great grandfather and grandmother Ben and Babe Morgan Circa 1920s

A rich man's son inherits want

with no desire to work hands bare

Gives the job to another man

to look out from his easy chair

 

A poor man's son inherits grace

born of toil and sweat of his brow

He adjudged of hard earned merit

pushes on what body will allow

 

The rich man's son inherits greed

with what malice it may entail

Thinking others beneath his station

for lack of character he does ail

 

The poor man's son inherits kindness

which with all others level stands

Then asks the outcast bless his door

to share the fruit of his two hands

 

Heir to what is the rich man's son

tender flesh that fears the cold

To the poor never gives his time

nor dare he wear a garment old

 

Inheriting, it seems to me

what no good man would wish to be

 

Heir to what is the poor man's son

strong muscles and pounding heart

Chipped of a marble character

beloved by all he touched in part

 

Inheriting, it seems to me

what all good men would wish to be

No claim to copyright fair use assumed

Author's Note

It isn't that rich people are per-say bad. Nor that poor people are good. It is the human condition that sets up society by stature. And counts wealth by monetary gain. Money is never happiness. Yet we are told all the time that it is. Look around you. See the multitudes rushing to amass their fortunes. And for what. Women who followed Gloria Steinem's ideals that you can have it all are miserable. Why? Because you can't have it all. You can't spend a life climbing the corporate ladder. Waiting to reach some plateau in your late 30s and then start a family. Children are not easy to raise. Nor cheap to keep in health and happiness. So why does money seem to make so many crazy and so many unhappy? Because money can't hold a hand. Money can't read a child's bedtime story. And money cannot make memories that last a lifetime. Shared life does that. Family does that. Descendants are the answer to selflessness. I cannot forget the look of a child's face who waited for dad to come pick him up when we were children. Only to hear again and again dad was too busy to come get him. How long do we think we will live? Not long. The dreams of happiness preached on wall street are the lies that will not live forever neither will we. The smiles of children stamped in the mint of memory are the coin of the realm of happiness!
Tate

Reviews

[Hanan_Maliah]

My man Tate..I have actually read this through more then once...it is to be reflected upon with more then a first glance. This understanding of being rich and having the world laid at your feet has for eternity been taken in stride...BUT...when you have toiled with your hands to bring your worth it is only then that you become RICH...those that believe the word rich applies solely to monetary gains are in fact poor...I would far rather be rich in mind and spirit enough to enjoy a fresh rain that has kissed the sweetest of roses bringing forth the decadence of scent burnt into memory that only a rose can bring then to be delivered a dozen cut, wrapped, or vased only to die...even then I would try to dry them so their existence is captured in time. I have often told men "Money neither impresses me or keep me...clothes do not make the man but are held together by a simple thread...it is the man himself do not have me find you lacking!" This said I would then ask who is truly rich and sorry to say really the poor..........

[Tate Morgan]

You are a peach I lay my pen in reverence upon the ground beside your feet

[cquig]

The stanza that begins, 'The poor mans son inherits kindness.' reminds me of a story my grandma told me many years. It was about how, way back in the day people would put a special mark on their door facing the alley to let the homeless know it was a safe house. Thanks for reminding me of that story.

[Melanie Jane Boicourt S..]

I do like the poem. Please do not take this wrong. I am just venting for the times we live in.
Yes your words are very good and true sometimes. But corruption has reached into some of the poor man's hearts too it seems. For the greed has grown into an age where a child grows up expecting entitlement and learns the wisdom of how to 'work' the system to get what they need without 'working'. Tis' the age of welfare fraud, suing your fellow man for frivolous reasons, etc. Some rich people actually worked very hard and smart to get that way. Poor people cannot get jobs unless there is another person who is rich enough to pay them to do something. Human nature is human nature and unfortunately it shows up in every aspect of fortune you are speaking about. More and more I see this coming about. I do not believe that money is the root of all evil. Greed could be! Money is a vehicle to get you what you need and want.... which will get you where you need and want to go.
A vehicle.

The greed is in all classes rich and poor. We here in America especially express it in the form of consuming things before we can actually pay for it (i.e. credit cards, mortgages, loans of all kinds).
All I am trying to say is; to take from the rich to give to the poor like Robin Hood would not solve anything. It creates entitlement and that does not motivate anyone to expand and work hard.
Plus, how would you feel if you worked hard to create the company of your dreams and more than half of the money your company made was taken away by the government so that they could spend it on whatever they felt like spending it on (i.e. redistributing it to the entitlement people that they are creating or giving their own selves bonuses.) The more the government dabbles into our daily life the more messed up it gets. There are real honest people out there (believe it or not) that would love to invest that money that their company makes into creating more jobs or donating to real charities. I am not saying do not feed someone who needs fed or do not shelter those who need shelter...I am saying...Give a man a fish and then teach him to fish...Do not just keep giving that man fish forever.
Love All, Melanie

[ALifeAquatic]

The last poem that I reviewed, I said it was accomplished, this is beyond accomplished I simply adore this! It has a beautiful message and it reminds me of something that in 100 years time people will still be reciting to their kids!

I'm a newcomer to your work but already after only reading a few of your poems I've become a big fan! You're talented beyond the level one would expect to find on an online writing community!

Thanks again

AHouseOfChambers

[Jenny Nelson]

I really enjoyed reading this. It is so true. Two of my daughters worked as waitresses for awhile. They were amazed how the rich folks would run them ragged and leave next to nothing... including a sports celeb. or two... and how the average working guy, or the big family ordering the cheapest things on the menu, would be the most polite and generous with the tip. You've expressed this truth quite well with this writing. I'm hoping a lot of people will read it because it'll make them do some thinking. Great job here!

[Poeticpiers]

I enjoyed your thinking Tate. Inherited riches do nothing to build character. The man who rises above the circumstances in which he was born to achieve and make something of himself knows what it is like to go without.. We have a saying here from riches to rags in three generations which often proves to be true
The man who has enough to meet his needs and a little spare for others is rich indeed

[MNeilsen]

Very well written poem that tugs at both the heart and mind. While I have met rich men that could be the poor man's son in your poem and poor men that could have been the rich man's sons, your poem is spot on with the majority. I actually feel sympathy for the rich man's son as he, in my opinion, will never know true happiness. This was a little personal for me, as I from the middle class, watch my nephews being raised the heir of the rich man.

[R J Askew]

Well I have two sons and I wld dearly love to be able to give them something to inherit. I wld prefer that something to be wealth as not. Wisdom I think people find in themselves or not. I don't think they inherit it. We are all different. My two sons are different in character. They are of me but they are not me. I wld rather be a rich man and be able to give them an advantage over others than not. i think this is an entirely natural aim. I wld hate to be the son of a philosopher who thought it to my advantage to struggle when I did not need to. The nobility of poverty is a myth. Poor pepole struggle like hell to gain prosperity and power and the first thing they do when they achieve it is to ensure their kids are well educated to avoid poverty. They invest in their kids and they endow them when they die. This seems natural.

[Helena]

Very, very well written. I loved the flow of this poem as well as the message.
I totally agree with your views in that what you have written seems to be
the norm. The most generous and loving people I have had the pleasure
to come across in this life are those who are poor in material things but
certainly not in spirit and heart. I could name a few people who I knew
who were frightfully rich but would not lift a finger to help anyone in need.

Giving rich people their due, I so admire those who give generously to
the more underpriviledged in society.

I do find that some people treat money as their GOD. Those individuals
can never be happy. Poorer people have had to reach inside and find
comfort and serenity from other sources and I think that makes them
more understanding and compassionate to others.

I enjoyed this Tate, it was excellent!

Helena

[Pitta S Dev]

It is really great piece of worky my friend. i felt like reading 'Book of Proverbs' in different version. Well Done and i pray & wish God bless and grant you more wisdom to share and multiply.

[Domo]

What a lovely poem.
This one is one of your best by-far.
Keep it up Tate!