Not Money, Not Everything Poem by Aloo Denish Obiero

They lived in a different era, in a different area,
Not today, and never in our cities,
And so they drew a conclusion,
That money is not everything. Right.

I live in this era, in this area,
Today, and in these cities,
And behold, a thing so strange:
The newest disability is lack of money. Right.

Today, in this cities, if you can't have money: ‎
You can't eat, for money is food; ‎
You can't drink, for money is water; ‎
You can't dress, for money is clothing; ‎
You can't find refuge, for money is shelter.

‎Today, in these cities, if you have no money: ‎
You have no space, for money occupies space; ‎
You have no voice, for money speaks; ‎
You have no right, for money has might;
‎You have no peace, for money commands comfort.

Today, in these cities, if you don't have money:
You don't study, for education costs money;
You don't know, for information costs money;
You don't communicate, for airtime costs money;
You don't matter, for money matters.

Today, in these cities, if you won't have money: ‎
You won't move, for transport requires money; ‎
You won't bathe, for bathroom requires money; ‎
You won't poop, for toilet requires money;
‎You won't pee, for restroom requires money.

No money, no food,
No food, no health,
No health, no life.
Thus, in these cities: no money, no life.

No money, no hospital,
No hospital, no medication,
No medication, no life.
Thus, in these cities: no money, no life.

No money, no shelter,
No shelter, no security,
No security, no life.
Thus, in these cities: no money, no life.

No money, no voice,
No voice, no right,
No right, no life.
Thus, in these cities: no money, no life.

So it was, then and there:
Not money, not everything.
And it is, now and here:
No money, no everything.