The Lesson*

One day a wealthy father

Decides that it is time to give

His privileged son a lesson on

How the poor actually live.

 

After spending a day and a night

On a poor, humble farm with his son,

The father asks on the drive home,

"How was your stay? Did you have fun?"

 

"Oh, yes indeed," says the son.

"They're very poor. Did you see?"

Asks the father. The son nods,

Having no reason to disagree.

 

The father continues: "Tell me what

You learned about being poor."

The son thinks and says, "We

Have only ONE dog; they have FOUR.

 

"In our garden, we have a fountain;

They have an endless stream that runs by.

Our garden has boring lamps;

They have all the stars in the sky.

 

"Our property stops at our fence.

To see beyond the garden is hard.

For them, on the other hand,

The entire horizon is their backyard."

 

The father doesn't know what to say.

Smiling from across the car,

The son says, "Thank you so much, Dad,

For showing me how poor we are."

 

(10-23-17) By Bob B

*A popular tale retold here in verse