I know of opulence and luxury –
I’ve seen the movies and I’ve read the news.
I doubt it is deserved – it seems to me
the fruit of brute behavior or ensues
from legacies unearned, estates well-planned,
inheritance without regard to worth,
success in numbers or by sleight of hand,
and extra goes to accidents of birth.

But now I have to turn critique on me.
I don’t deserve conditions I enjoy:
my little house and garden, privacy
protecting me from all that might annoy.
My gratitude is realized and unswerving.
It triggers empathy for undeserving.