Pansies (Lawrence)/Poverty

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POVERTY
The only people I ever heard talk about My Lady Povertywere rich people, or people who imagined themselves rich.Saint Francis himself was a rich and spoiled young man.
Being born among the working peopleI know that poverty is a hard old hag,and a monster, when you're pinched for actual necessities.And whoever says she isn't, is a liar.
I don't want to be poor, it means I am pinched.But neither do I want to be rich.When I look at this pine-tree near the sea, ​that grows out of rock, and plumes forth, plumes forth,I see it has a natural abundance.
With its roots it has a grand grip on its daily bread,and its plumes look like green cups held up to sun and airand full of wine.
I want to be like that, to have a natural abundanceand plume forth, and be splendid.

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