Too Much

A Poem

I have too much.

Too much money,

Too much greed,

Too much "want"

And too much "need"

I'm spoiled like a rotten egg.

I love it.

I hate it.

Someone is starving next door.

But I am not.

I don't care.

Back then,

Way back.

They had to care.

It was them.

They were starving.

They were dying.

I don't care.

It isn't my fault,

It isn't my life.

It isn't my future

Or my past.

Why should I care?

It isn't me.

My clothes are new.

My house is big.

My family has four cars.

Why should I care for starving people?

Even if they could be me?

What if they were?

They aren't.

I've never had to die before,

I've never seen it happen.

I'm sheltered, spoiled and privileged.

That kind of thing won't happen to me.

But what if it did?

It won't.

I have too much.

Too much money,

Too much greed,

Too much "want"

And too much "need"

Maybe I should understand.

The things I've never learned.

Like hurt

And pain

And suffering.

But no,

They'd never let me.

No one can suffer anymore.

No one can be poor.

People hurt,

People in pain,

People suffering.

But no,

Not me.

Not until I see it on my doorstep,

Until it creeps into my life.

I don't care.

It isn't me.

It could have been.

But it wasn't.

I'm wrong.

A child dies.

But not here.

I'm wrong.

A person starves.

But I don't know them.

I'm wrong.

It can happen here.

It did.

They starved.

They died.

They hurt.

They cried.

But I don't care.

It wasn't me.

I have too much.

Too much money,

Too much greed,

Too much "want"

And too much "need"

They have a name for it:

"The Great Depression"

How can it be great?

I've never seen it.

Was it even there?

Nothing is wrong anymore.

In my little world.

My sheltered little world.

I was raised in it.

My material.

Worthless material.

I need it.

They didn't.

I say:

"Save the rainforest"

"Feed the starving people"

But I'm not there.

It isn't me.

I just give away the money.

I don't need it.

They didn't need it either.

But not because they had too much.

They didn't need it too survive.

They had strength.

They had courage,

They had love.

They even had happiness.

But they didn't have money.

I have money.

I need it.

But I don't.

"I need that."

"I want that"

I get that.

They were stronger than me.

Kinder than me.

More generous than me.

They were better than me.

Yet they had no money.

They didn't need it.

I could be that way too,

Couldn't I?

Could I be ready?

Drop everything and go?

Need nothing?

I could do that,

Couldn't I?

My Grandmother did it.

Couldn't I?

Are we that different?

In the same country?

The same world?

Are we that different?

But I could change that,

Couldn't I?

I have too much.

Too much money,

Too much greed,

Too much "want"

And too much "need"