Madmoments: or First Verseattempts By a Bornnatural. Addressed to the Lightheaded of Society at Large, by Henry Ellison |
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POVERTY, WHAT REALLY. |
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 | Madmoments: or First Verseattempts |  |
POVERTY, WHAT REALLY.
What Constitutes the Force of Poverty?The many wants which it cannot appease.
Now, tho' the Richman satisfies with Ease
His Wishes, yet not being sobered by
The chastening Power of necessity,
And not real wants, they quickly cease to please,
And wilder wishes follow — thus thro' these
Many new Wants, 'mid all his Luxury,
Is He still poor; nay, poorer than the man,
Who having but few Wants, with Little can
Be rich and happy: and the Richman too
Is more the Slave of Circumstances, than
The Poorman, 'spite of all his wealth, nay, thro'
That very Wealth. Like a Slave, owing to
Others his Happiness — that Beggar is
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And not his daily Bread. Thus Poverty
Is not the having little wealth, for by
Gold, none was e'er made happy; but 'tis this:
To have too many wants, and thus to miss
Thro' the superfluous the necessary!
| Madmoments: or First Verseattempts | |