What Is A Person's Value? What Is Their Worth? Poem by Christine A Kysely

What is a person's value?
What is their worth?
Can it be based solely
On what is found in their empty purse?

Can that one missing emptiness...
Take away a person's pride?
Can it belittle,
The entire worth of their life?

Is there some value,
In the light in their eyes?
Is there some value
for the past loves of their life?

Is there some value
In the all the books that they've read?
The knowledge imparted
The words that they've said?

Do they get credit
For the beauty they've seen,
Painter of paintings,
Dreamer of dreams,
Taker of photographs
Creator of life,
Mother of children,
Lover of life.

Lover of wisdom, of knowledge, of men,
Friend to all people, both dark-skinned and light,
Lover of humans,
Meets all with delight.
Lover of all things,
Both known and unseen,
Champion of causes, of persons, ideals,
Believes in the future, values every meal.

Is there some value,
To someone who really loves life,
Whose laughter fills each and every day,
In spite of their ongoing strife?

To someone who looks to the heavens,
Always amazed,
Someone who has pondered the moon,
And watched it go through its phase.

To someone who has held the earth in their hands,
Who has felt the sun on their face,
Who is raising their own children,
Who puts on a brave face.

What is the value,
Of one who has financially hit a wall,
Who has often sat here and pondered,
And tried to make sense of it all.

What is my Value?
What is my Worth?
Will I be valued solely,
By what is contained in my purse?

(November 9,2010 Wausau, Wisconsin)

(c) Copyright 2010 by Christine A Kysely, All Rights Reserved