True Inheritance

Miguel Velasquez

9.2.22

In my hands I’ve handled money ;

Crumpled bills of all sizes, some torn and even taped

My body has been covered with brand names

My shoes always new

I paid my own rent at 14 years old

My own shelter; new couches, television and fridge

I’ve had reasons to brag about my possessions

To my small circle. And there was much reason

For them to be impressed

Today, I can’t tell you when's the last time I touched currency

Family members pay for clothes that I, try not

To stain. My selection of brands isn’t wide

My shoes are outdated but new. State clothes

That strangers pay for are recycled

My shelter is a bathroom that comes with a

Roommate. My bed is a couch and my desk.

The point is, that material things I once valued

Were destroyed by moths, consumed by time, and

Spend on short lived memories

Now that I’ve matured, I see that I’m not

Alone, nor was I ever poor

As I searched and dug through the vast desert

Of emptiness’s field, I found a treasure chest

Of previous jewels- buried out of ignorance

To their worth like aztecs and gold

My inheritance, passed on from generation before.

Carefully tended to and protected to be given

To me one day, or rather to be found by me

Gems of meaning, unconditional love, trust.

Resilience, strength, revolution, compassion

And countless values

My ancestors toiled, suffered and sacrificed

To make me rich forever

Hopefully one day, you find your inheritance

Riches that can never fade