My mom tells me
that she received some money
from the government

and she sounds so excited
so I ask her if she bought
something fun.

She has so little money
so I tell her I hope she treated herself.

But she just laughs
and tells me
she donated most of it.

And I can’t decide
what stuns me more,

that my little old mom
who watches TV all day
is actually a monk

or that it took me this long
to learn from her
that love dries up
unless you give it
away.