Rich Man Poor Man

Human tastes vary and so are the desperate cravings to capture the best in human ambition, A more desperate thirst for fame, riches and for power can be a low, vulgar bitter taste, I admire the spirit of the man who sees richer recompense as a sign of alleviated misery, And I see goodness in smiles and enlightened hearts of happy people that enjoy their life, Men who enjoy what's free in life, the softness a beauty of a June night and warm breezes, The calm clear loveliness of a dark sky where moon beams shine and an evening star glows, Acknowledging wonder as the smallest sounds of the night, owl's hooting, crickets singing, Enjoying the night time smell where different breezes unlock, the sweetest secret essences, It could be the leafy aroma of the trees or the scents of many wild lovely forest flowers, A man who knows the price of a wives 'I love you' when he comes home from his daily work, A man who knows the value of money and would rather his name valued in poor mans prayers, There are two choices in this world, greed or contentment but they do not go hand in hand, So we see these choices as two garments spread out for your selection, which do you choose, One is tattered slops of your own righteousness for ambition, to waste life chasing money, Or be happy and live in a world that you can enjoy and afford, no one banging on your door, Choosing between the two seem to be very simple and even a child would tell which one it is, The fact is most grown men would choose the road to ambition and riches and all its burdens, To these men a brilliant morning sunshine means nothing, a morning mist on a lake is wasted. To rush through life chasing gold, not hearing curlews in far off moors, is the poor man, The rich see joy on a beautiful day listening to quails piping from green corn in twilight, To feel a flush of happiness along margins of a beach, waves break in flame at your feet, To hear strokes of an oar, somewhere in the dim obscure and list, wild cries of the tern, A plover that never sleeps soundly, sweeps past and plunges onward, until gone from sight, The man who understands real treasures in life, remembers happy times, into his last days, Greedy men remember too late when old and grey, reflecting through an ocean of wet tears, These musing men spring forward forgetting poetry of the ocean and a new mornings sunrise, Then let them go from beauty, the understanding of beauty is wasted, the poor man is rich.