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

[Frieda P]

What a great tribute Tate, I really enjoy'd this read...lots of poignant reminiscing here. Good choice in music too....

[Marie]

You make many good points. And I have read all the reviews, which make good points too. For me it's quite simple: Some people are poor. Some people are rich. It's better to be rich.

[SteveB]

Strongly written and while perhaps coming across as an indictment of wealth I think that your overall premise as it related to inherited wealth and the lazy lifestyle it allows is spot on.

I could hear your voice as I was reading this. Well done.

[Baby Ricochet]

This is bloody brilliant! I felt like yelling it out the Window. I felt this deep

[Jerry Ables]

Very good and thoughtful words, Tate:) I once heard it told that there's a difference between being rich and being wealthy: Wealthy means you have the money, and rich means the money has you. The read is very much appreciated:) May you and yours live ever peacefully and safely:)

[Tate Morgan]

thank you Jerry thank you very much

[Call_Me_Miss_Imperfect]

Wow, Tate this is an amazing poem and I truly enjoyed reading it too. I've been meaning to write a deep poem about the poor social status and how it feels to not get much in life even after how much you struggle and try. My family are good people but yet we're the ones struggling to pay bills and keep up with life itself. It's a challenge I must say. God never intended for anything to be simple either. That's why I smile and push through every obstacle. I do like how you set up two different aspects of inherting either the poor or rich side. Really I'm not either, I'm in the average or the middle class, if you will.

"Inheriting, it seems to be
what no good man would wish to be"--That's very true! My daddy all of the time says how we have bad luck. Some people are lucky to inherit a lot of money through family and all of their businesses. Though, I'm actually happier without all of the money. Money isn't what we need. We need each other to survive.

Ashley Rivers--Dream BIG and you'll win BIG ;)

[Belle]

Evidently, it has been described here that the poor : 'born of toil and sweat of his brow" while the rich as "man's son inherits greed", this to me speaks the Marxist ideology wherein the human society is composed of the base and the superstructure. The base are consists of the laborers and on the top are the capitalist which is in contradiction to what the natural order must be. I am not a Marxism supporter since I've known that this kind of struggle between the laborer and capitalist already existed long before the ideology has been crystallized. I am but saying only what I see in the context of reality and with this kind of reality the theory becomes appealing to me. It is really sad that the poor labors more but receives less. Forgive me for this Sire, I know the last stanza and the poetic closure is very positive but it does speak to me on a larger than life basis. I just want really to dwell on the reality.

I have been very open with the respect I have for you not only here on WC but also on the other group page that we are in, so it is really an honor again to read from you and this time to give my very first review on your writing. At last I found the courage.

With respect,
Belle

[realmwriter]

Rich. I am not. Poor. I am not. Nor do I have any money to speek of but I am rich beyond my wildest dreams. I have a family that loves me, a daughter I love dearly more than my own life and will treasure more than any bill can pay for strife. I follow no greed to its end for I know what road gold will lead you down. I know that in the end, I wish my family to be around.

Tate, this is by far the best poem of yours' that I have read. It hits home with me. For being homless on the street I can apreciate the fact that money cannot buy happiness. I know because I have none and I am Happy...! Thank you my friend for this wonderful write!

[roarke]

the poetry and the author's note are two marvelous pieces of writing. I'm wondering if there is some way to combine the two, synthesize the form, style, genre and synergize the two.
Only those that that have experienced this class dichotomy can even begin to understand, and that number is very small.