Green Paper

Green Paper

The bits of inanimate paper

float just above the heads

of the animated puppets.

Just out of reach for some.

For others, fistfuls in hand.

I don’t understand a world

in which bits of paper

mean everything.

The difference between life and death.

Our value, your value, my value.

A net sum.

A list of skills, a budget sheet.

Oh, yes, yes.

My my.

How life is neat.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

when we compare our worth to how much of that green paper we have, we are in trouble aren't we?
our worth comes from the heart and soul...and we all know life is not a neat little package...it has many frayed edges...untied ribbons...the wrapping can be falling away and torn...but our value comes from how we live it, and how we treat others...
let the paper burn, let others knock each other over reaching for that almighty dollar.

"the meek shall inherit the earth" as the proverb goes.

nicely done.

[Diana]

Money is an unfortunate necessity because it provides us with our necessities, however I am in total agreement that it is a screwed-up system. People should matter more.

[misha]

Such a truthful piece. I enjoyed your write. Keep it up!

[Diana]

Thank you.

[Josh Dollar]

True. I really don't like how we put so much faith in money.

[Diana]

We're forced to in a way. :( Yes, indeed. Thanks, Josh.

[.Em.]

so very true. i love the juxtaposition of inanimate paper with animate puppets in the first stanza. and the last stanza was such a great way to finish it off. the sarcasm stings. great poem. short but oh so meaningful. thanks for sharing
em.

[Diana]

Thanks so much, Em. Sorry for my delayed response...haven't been on in a while.

[.Em.]

no problem.. im not on all that much too haha. :)

[Rita L. Sev]

A necessary evil, but an evil nonetheless... If only we could measure worth in a more meaningful manner... Excellent piece, Diana.

[Diana]

Thank you, Rita.

[willweb]

The root of all evil. I enjoyed this poem today. It seemed a bit sarcastic, but understandably so.

[Diana]

The last stanza is a bit sarcastic. Hopefully more critical than sarcastic, though. Thanks for stopping by!

[willweb]

Either way it was still very good.

[icelandicblue]

So many judge on what one has and not who someone is. It is a system of inequities where the worth of the person has been lost to the world of debits and credits. I like your use of green paper in this, it devalues the monetary weight that we seem to put on the heads of others and asks us to remember that each of us is valuable in ways that cannot be counted.

[Diana]

Thank you for seeing and appreciating that. That's really all it is...green paper.

[Sami Khalil]

Money, power and materialism are defining people more and more instead of them being servants to us, they are becoming our masters instead of the One True God. That is a form of paganism and worship of them. The media plays a lot on man's weaknesses for they have a certain agenda or a certain product to sell...
Sorry I have not visited lately...Bravo as always...:).........

[Diana]

No need to apologize. To be truthful, I haven't been on much lately. It's a shame really. Or turning someone away from healthcare because they can't pay...technically not a crime (in a legal sense), but really it's a moral crime.

[Sami Khalil]

Yep. You are welcome...:)...........