Wealth

the dormouse observed

the dormouse observed 
that the lord of the pantry 
had cast off his rags

that wolf from my door 
is nose-to-tail beside the
fire in my belly

wise men are masters 
at home with their riches where
the fool lies enslaved

on his golden throne
the thoughts of the wisest king
turn to poverty

i am not so rich
that fortune lacks the strength to
swallow my riches

when wealth departed
it carried off nothing but
its own inertia

either my riches
serve my ends or i am a
slave to my riches

i will not give in
to this adversity nor
trust prosperity

these things that I seek 
will not bring me more joy than 
the things that I have

why do you say that
wealth like yours should be despised
and yet possess it