The Miner 1-1-98

A lonely miner carries against his skin
The only gem he's ever found
Holding it more dear than the luckiest miner
Merits his own millions
Perhaps only for me to witness in human nature
That the less you possess, the more you value it
Yet the more you cling to what you've had
The lesser number you'll acquire
And if it's mentioned he found the precious diamond in his old age
I might be given to greater understanding
With realization that the longer you've looked
The more readily you'll accept the worth
But if he had never found that diamond
Would that prove in human nature that we usually look in the wrong places
And if you always believe you have nothing
That you will always have nothing
So what if he had lost that first diamond
And soon after found a second
Then having confidence in finding another
He sold it for hopes to find more
Finding each one easier than the previous
And valuing each one less
Turning from a lonely miner
To a heartless millionaire