Mammon
“But it is not the rich man only who is under the dominion of things; they too are slaves who, having no money, are unhappy from the lack of it.” – George MacDonald
—
I wrote this poem after having a conversation with Nathan about money. It’s easy to believe that the rich are the only people at risk of worshiping money. OR, it’s easy to say that all rich people do worship their money because they are rich. No, no, no. I believe what George MacDonald says: all people are at risk of worshiping what they have or what they don’t have but want.
If money guides your decisions more than God guides your decisions, then I say you have a problem. (And by you, I mean me. My name is Lauren, and the moneygod is a hard god to ignore.)
—
Mammon
Mammon is the god for rich
people, not us. We only have ten dollars
to spend on lunch
and dinner both, which is fine
if we can hit Wendy’s on the way home.
Don’t mind microwaving leftovers,
because the leftovers are stale,
at least compared to the fresh junior
bacon cheeseburger, small fry,
large Coke.
We sit in the front seat of your car
eating and planning
our futures in hundred dollar bills.
We decide perhaps tonight we can break the bank
a little on dinner, because it is a special day,
a holiday, a birthday, a day-day.
After all, we have
a reason to celebrate: we may not be rich,
but at least we’re good
with money.
July 31, 2011