Living in Poverty

Just because you don’t have money doesn’t mean you are poor.
Over 80% of the world’s population lives on less than $10 a day.

If you have someone who loves you,
if you have shelter and food, clothes and water
then you are not living in poverty.
You are rich, lucky, wealthy and blessed.
You just don’t have money.

Money is what our culture uses to trade for what we want or think we need.
We trade our time for money.
Some trade their bodies and souls for it.
That is poverty.

If you have money in abundance,
life cluttered with things that you love
more than the people you live with;
a mind cluttered with hatred, greed and anger.

If you have  more food than you need
and everything has a price attached to it;
if you can buy anything you want to
but you don’t have time to hold your child,
watch a sunset, walk in the rain
or love someone more than you love yourself
then I think you
are living in poverty.

©Sharron R. McMillan