A poem is worth so much more than money
Or so Gao Shi hopes, because he hasn't got any money
Farewell to Dong Tinglan (2) Gao Shi A plume of feathers tossed by swirling winds, And no one but myself to sympathise. I quit Chang’an, I left Luoyang behind, And suddenly a decade has gone by. A gentleman deplores such poverty: To have no cash for wine the day we meet. 高适 别董大二首·其二 六翮飘飖私自怜，一离京洛十馀年。 丈夫贫贱应未足，今日相逢无酒钱。
Early in his career, Gao Shi had no luck finding employment in Chang’an. He returned to his family farm, and eventually joined the military as a way to seek advancement. This must have been the time when he encountered Dong Tinglan on his way to a distant northern post.