Poor

Poor

we get confused
always saying
it's others
who hate
the poor
when it's really
all of us
who love them

all of us
love them
toughly
or kindly
fucking them up
as subject
or object
of new math
or old
either one
missing something
maybe that
which isn't particular
to any 
particular form 
of math

we all
love the poor
need the poor
for their proving
our values
and outcomes
better than theirs

we love the poor
and need them
to validate
our ways
but not US
just our ways
as better
than theirs

so 
we oppress them
with our conflicting loves
our virtues
of toughness
and kindness
we rob them of spirit
with breadcrumb trails
leading nowhere

quelling
our dissonance
we foil them
dishearten them
with iron fists 
of our good intents
because
without the poor
like subject
without predicate
we are only
object
we are only
ourselves