Friday, September 16, 2011

Real Riches

Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of soul, impossible.
~ Michel de Montaigne


Cornwall Daffodils photo by Mark Robinson

Poor Angus
by Shel Silverstein

Oh what do you do, poor Angus,
When hunger makes you cry?
"I fix myself an omelet, sir,
Of fluffy clouds and sky."

Oh what do you wear, poor Angus,
When winds blow down the hills?
"I sew myself a warm cloak, sir,
Of hope and daffodils."

Oh who do you love, poor Angus,
When Catherine's left the moor?
"Ah, then, sir, then's the only time
I feel I'm really poor."

~~~~~~~~~~

Visit Amy LV at The Poem Farm for today's Poetry Friday round-up.

9 comments:

Author Amok said...

Hi, Tabatha. This is a new poem for me -- not at all what I would have expected from Shel Silverstein. He expresses the beauty of the clouds and daffodils without calling them beautiful.

Robyn Hood Black said...

I did not know this one either! Thanks for sharing. And it comes with a bit of weight this week with the poverty statistics in the news.

GatheringBooks said...

My daughter and I have just finished reading "Where the Sidewalk ends" and we are now halfway through "A Light in the Attic" - there is just something about Shel Silverstein's work that captures simplicity in its barest essence - and he makes it sound so heartbreakingly glorious. ;-)

Great to be back! <3

david elzey said...

this only makes me even more hopeful for the new book of uncle shelby's poems coming out soon!

jama said...

This one's new to me, too. Surprising and wonderful. You find the best stuff, Tabatha! Thanks :).

Amy L V said...

I, too, am in the "new to me" group. Thank you, Tabatha! If you haven't read Shel's biography, I recommend it. He was such a layered man... A.

laurasalas said...

Wow, I love this. I'm not a SS fanatic, but this is lovely.

Janet said...

I love this. There should be a stanza about how a poem can make one feel richer, too.

Mary Lee said...

I agree with Janet!

I love how this poem "talks to" my choice this week!

And indeed, you are AWESOME at picking quote, photo, and poem that work so nicely together!