A Tale of Gold and Dirt
Creative 2020 / Finalists
Introduction
Everyone is familiar with feelings of unworthiness and shame. We tend to walk life looking over our shoulder, waiting to notice who might be watching. Days turn into races of becoming the ‘good enough’ everyone else seems to have and be; money and status begin to overshadow the quality of life itself. When we build who we are based on how much we do, who we associate with, and whether or not our abilities are valuable to others, we risk a shaky foundation. We constantly feel the need to build ourselves up, and perhaps even bring others down.
Chassidus teaches that G-d has breathed a part of Himself into each and every one of us. When we choose to live through the part inside gifted to us by the Everlasting G-d, our foundation too is everlasting. We needn’t fear being broken down, because this part inside has Ultimate Worth just by being, for it is a part of G-d Himself. Unhealthy thought patterns and habits dissipate as we feel the quiet confidence within: a mindset of calm and security beholding true joy. We can at last connect deeply with others, and develop a real relationship with G-d. We are able to remove the labels of Dirt we mistakenly stuck on, through recognizing and living through the Gold we are at our core.
Sources
The ideas presented in this children’s rhyme are learned from the second Chapter of the Tanya, where the Alter Rebbe describes the G-dly Soul: this Gold we all are at our core.
Another source of what is described in this poem was learned from a Ma’amer of Shabbos Parshas Lech Lecha, found in Sefer Maamarim of 5702, explained in an audio class of Rabbi Yossi Jacobson.
The metaphor of Gold and Dirt was taught to me by Risa Pewzner, heard from a class by Rabbi Sternberg.
A Tale of Gold and Dirt
Far and down a trodden path
One sunset time in spring
If chanced upon, one would have found
A most surprising thing
Upon the ground two piles lay
One shining, one unclear
The first was Gold, the other Dirt
A quite uncommon pair
“How lonely, down and bad I feel!”
The voice of Dirt burst forth
“As I am now, I’m not much
If only I had worth.
“A lump of mud is of no use
I’m passed without a glance
In a world with so much more
I don’t stand a chance.”
Listening so still beside him
Midnight on its way
With many thoughts upon its mind
Gold began to say
“Oh Dirt, how lonely you must feel
You’re angry at your core
All you want is to become
Something so much more.”
“Yes! I want to prove I’m great!”
Said Dirt now deep in thought
“What if I sneak into a store
So that I can be bought?
“If someone walks into a shop
And chooses none but me
I can prove how great I am!
How worthy I will be!
“Join me, Gold, and let’s become
New, improved ourselves
Two beautiful, exquisite cups
Upon two shiny shelves.”
And so, exactly midnight time
Gold and Dirt began
They shaped themselves, creating cups
Precisely as they’d planned
Far and down this trodden path
The daylight still unseen
If chanced upon, one might have found
A strange and thoughtful thing
For slowly, slowly as Dirt took
A different shape and size
From mud a cup was formed, and then
Its price began to rise
But even though Gold had become
A cup now round and tall
Because it was still solid gold
Its worth rose not at all
Well, no matter, hurry now
For Gold and Dirt we see
Have crept their way into a shop
Of tableware to be
Gold and Dirt each took a place
Eyes glued to the door
They held their breath as someone walked
Straight into the store!
The man drew near and Dirt yelled out
“He’ll choose me – I’ll be bought!”
But the man just passed right by
Without a second thought
“Am I just not good enough?
Do I not have a place?!”
At Dirt’s eyes, teardrops gathered
Falling down his face
“A lump of mud is of no use
I’m passed without a glance
In a store with so much more
I don’t stand a chance.”
With his heart still feeling low
He tried to wipe his eyes
When a group of many cups
Disturbed his lonely cries
How loud and rowdy they all were!
How confident they seemed!
“If only I could join with them
And be one on their team.”
Standing sadly at the edge
With all his might he tried
To push and shove into the group
And make his way inside
Finally, Dirt found himself
In middle of the mess
All the cups were trying hard
To make themselves the best
A customer inside the shop
Strode over to the crowd
He picked up the whole bunch of them
All shouting pretty loud
“Pick us! Pick us!” they called out
“You’d better know we’re great
Although we aren’t good ourselves
Together we’re okay.”
Sudden fear came over Dirt
“This simply cannot be!
If they don’t feel like they have worth
What will become of me?!”
“It must be that they are right”
His heavy sobs came strong
“I feel just like a piece of Dirt
I knew it all along
“A lump of mud is of no use
I’m passed without a glance
In a group with so much more
I don’t stand a chance.”
In his thoughts of hurt and sadness
Dirt began to hide
When – wait! another customer
Slowly walked inside
He searched until he noticed Dirt
And brought him to the light
“I’ve found the one!” he said out loud
“This one looks just right!”
In one instant, all Dirt’s tears
Disappeared quite fast
“Maybe after all this wait
I will have worth at last!
But, alas, it would not be –
As Dirt was held up high
The simple, solid, golden cup
Caught the buyer’s eye
“Oh, I’ve made a big mistake!”
The man called out, surprised
“This gold cup is much nicer, oh!
With not but a second glance
Poor Dirt was put back down
His cheeks grew hot, his face was red
His grin became a frown
“How dare he! How unfair this is!”
Dirt’s voice shook the store
“I want this man to take that Gold
And smash him to the floor!
“Although a lump of mud I am
Though no one cares to glance
I will not let my friend be more
He will not get a chance.
“Break that thing! Throw him out!”
Dirt cried out in pain
“If my life must be miserable
I’ll make him feel the same.”
The customer was holding Gold
Preparing soon to pay
When softly, almost to himself
Gold began to say
“You’d really like to buy me, Sir
You know that I am gold
But I don’t need to play this game
Of being bought and sold
“You see, I know that I have worth
No matter where I am
In a house or on a shelf
No matter where I stand
“If someone tells me I’m not great
I need not feel like dirt
I was and am still solid gold –
It doesn’t change my worth
“Others can have more than me
For who I am is good
I don’t need to look the best
To be all that I could.”
Gold looked over back at Dirt
Compassion in his heart
“I know that this is hard to hear
It’s tough to feel apart
“All along you thought yourself
A lump of mud to be
Oh Dirt, if only you would search
For deeper than you see.”
“But Gold, I’m Dirt!” he shouted out
“You have worth, not I.”
Confused and sad, he looked at Gold
Who whispered with a sigh
“You always thought you were Dirt
For that’s what you were told
But my friend, both you and I
Are made of solid gold.”
Silence stilled the moments
As the sun then reached its peak
With tears upon their faces
Neither Gold nor Dirt could speak
Dirt looked down upon himself
And glimpsed a gleam of light
“Could it be I too have worth?
Could I be shining bright?
“Oh Gold!” at last he blurted out
“I have been so naive
I told myself that I was Dirt
And that’s what I believed
“But who I am is really Gold
And all I had to do
Was find that place deep inside
And see that it’s the Truth
“Now I know that I have worth
No matter where I am
In a house or on a shelf
No matter where I stand
“Gold I was and Gold I’ll be
My price will never rise
I don’t need to change my shape
My color, or my size
“Dear friend, I think we can return
And leave this store for good
I need not be bought or sold
To be all that I could.”
And so the sun now strongest yet
With joyful days to bring
Gold and Gold turned down the path
Upon that day in spring.