And thanks for the comment! Honestly, while I see the religious connotations, that wasn’t even the first place my mind went. i.e. it seems much more “zen” than Judeo-Christian, although I suppose in fairness it’s both.
Anyway, it seems to be (1) something mostly just to ponder, rather than a specific rule that someone must take, and therefore (2) not something intended for everyone, e.g. if you have a medical need that will cost money, then why commit suicide by giving away that treatment?
But… as with any art, I suppose it means whatever the reader pulls from it.
I do want to add that we are getting sidetracked with the “money” part, as should be expected, but that’s nowhere close to what this poem seems to be about overall, to me at least. It also mentions telling someone you love them (hehe, not necessarily with a gift of all of your money:-), and overall screams to me of bravery. Especially that last stanza - “nothing more pathetic than caution”, which it goes on to specifically mention that while perhaps not always, definitely there seems to be times when it needs to be discarded, not to fill someone else’s pockets or even stomaches, but for our own sakes, in that moment.
And thanks for the comment! Honestly, while I see the religious connotations, that wasn’t even the first place my mind went. i.e. it seems much more “zen” than Judeo-Christian, although I suppose in fairness it’s both.
Anyway, it seems to be (1) something mostly just to ponder, rather than a specific rule that someone must take, and therefore (2) not something intended for everyone, e.g. if you have a medical need that will cost money, then why commit suicide by giving away that treatment?
But… as with any art, I suppose it means whatever the reader pulls from it.
I do want to add that we are getting sidetracked with the “money” part, as should be expected, but that’s nowhere close to what this poem seems to be about overall, to me at least. It also mentions telling someone you love them (hehe, not necessarily with a gift of all of your money:-), and overall screams to me of bravery. Especially that last stanza - “nothing more pathetic than caution”, which it goes on to specifically mention that while perhaps not always, definitely there seems to be times when it needs to be discarded, not to fill someone else’s pockets or even stomaches, but for our own sakes, in that moment.