the limitations of self

He owns a whole ship the size of a city block
The crew on the ship is about five hundred
The size of his cabin is a large suite
Yet when he goes for a ride on his shp, for a distance of five miles
He sleeps on a single bed in his cabin
And the cost of running his ship is a million
It is the irony of riches

He owns a whole mansion
On several acres of land the nansion sits
There are a hundred rooms in the mansion
In the summer season the mansion has to be cooled
In the winter season the mansion has to be made warm
He has several maids and butlers in the mansion
Yet when he sleeps in his mansion for single night
He sleeps on a single bed
And the cost of running his mansion is thousands
It is the irony of riches

He owns a fleet of cars
It requires a whole parking lot just to park them
Each car has to be insured
Each car requires gas to run
Each car requires oil to run
Yet when he goes for a ride for a few hours
He has to drive a single car
And the cost of maintaining all those cars is thousands
It is the irony of riches

She owns a trunk full of jewelry
In her trunk are diamonds the size of an egg
In her trunk are gold earings the size of lobsters
In her trunk are diamonds, and necklaces that glitter in the light
Yet when she goes out on a single day
She wears but a single necklace and a single pair of earings
Her cost and worries of maintaining all the gems is in thousands
It is the irony of riches, and the vanity of life

If tears were money
We would have to shed many tears to grow rich
We would have to shed a tear for a cup of drink
We would have to shed a tear for a pair of shoes
We would have to shed many tears to own a car
If money were tears, we would have to shed a thousand tears for a diamond
For the tears of riches will be like rain
And rivers will form out of our tears

She owns a closet full of shoes
Her collections of shoes are more than a shoe store
Her shoes are a single size to fit her
Her shoes are of colors and designs of many varieties
Yet when she sleeps at night on her bed
She sleeps bare foot without her shoes
If money were tears
She would have to shed a thousand tears for her shoes
It is the misery of comfort
It is the irony of riches

The size of the belly is limited
The size of the feet is limited
The size the head is limited
The size of the arm is limited
The size of ears is limited
So no matter what we can afford to put in the belly
No matter how many hats we can wear on the head
No matter how many clothes we can wear
We are limited to one thing at a time
Life has its own limitations

We are not giants to want to sleep in a castle
We are not whales to want to drink like a fish
We are not grasshoppers to want to own acres and acres of land
We are not ants to want to own a fleet of cars
We are not rocks to want to own a trunk full of gems
We are human, and we are limited to one thing at time a time

We are not immortal to horde up riches in a bank
This life is limited to a short span
For sooner or later we die
And we can't take it all with us
It is the irony of riches, and the pomposity of life

She owns rooms full of clothes
She has more clothes than many clothing stores
A single size she wears
In a whole variety of designs and shape they are made
Her night out in her custom costs a fortune
If money were tears, she would have had to shed many tears
Yet she wears a single dress in a day
It is the irony of riches, and the limitations of self

He says he is popularly known for his achievements
She says I am a female super star
He says my money can buy anything
She says my jewelry glitters in the sun
He says I am the owner of many institutions
She says I am the owner of many maids
He says I am the king of an empire
She says I am the queen of beauty
Yet with all these, he cannot prevent himself from a headache
Yet with all these, she cannot prevent herself from a fever
Man, you are mortal
Woman, you are flesh and blood

For those that are rich, distribute some to the poor
For nations that are rich, give to nations that are poor
No man owns the earth
No man owns the seas
Let us share the earth as humans
A country is not the property of only its people
The skies belongs to no man or woman
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof
For He founded it upon the seas, and the land is owned by all
Let us share the earth together as one family
Our God the creator, is the governor of all
For we are tenants of the earth, the landlord is God.

From the poem "The Irony of Riches", by Ken Nunoo