Sonnet #179

If God wanted you to be rich, they say
He'd make you rich. If you were worthy of his
blessings; that's what they whisper and hiss
When they kneel upon their balconies to pray

Consider the sparrow, how she is dressed so fine
How all her food is free for the taking
Until we cut down all the trees and mowed and raking
Until our owned ground is clean and neat, we'll mine

Some distant topsoil to grow all the seeds
We'll sell them back to sparrows for their feathers
If God wanted sparrows not to meet their needs
By selling their feathers, why make the feathers
So beautiful? God's blessings skip the weeds
God's blessing bends sparrow skin to our leathers