Friday, April 29, 2011

I Want To Be a Penny (for big tent)





I want to be a penny,
laying on rails,
waiting for a train.

Have you ever seen a penny after fifty grain cars flatten it into
    oblong coolness?

I’m tired
             of worthless,
collected in topless mason jars,
saved
         just to be stolen,
                                   for some blow and a little weed.

I want to be cool,
smashed into something somebody finds,
and says,
             “Wow, check this out.”
Instead of,
                “tails, bad luck,”
and thrown inside some bushes,
                                   to be alone;
a penny from hell.

I’d rather rain from Heaven on poor people with mason jars for food; with hope.

I want to be cool.
I want to quit smoking;
                                   kill two birds with one
engine
          pulling thousands of tons of
                                   oblong creating coolness.

I want to be a penny,
laying on rails,
waiting for a train.

Just thinking....

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I like this piece. In fact, It relates so well to how most women feel about their physical selves… wanting them to be altered, different, longer, leaner…
I also think it perfectly states our need to be special, different from all the other pennies in the can.
;-)

Tumblewords: said...

Delightfully provocative and powerful.

flaubert said...

Oh, my ... that is just lovely! Henry, it is very nice to meet you.

Pamela

nan said...

Very interesting poem. I like the refrain, and I feel the desolation.

Deb said...

Fabulous pairing of image & poem. The voice is terrific, the musings startling and yet so sensible - of course, "I want to be a penny,/laying on the rails". Who wouldn't?

I'm Just a Man (Recording Experiment ... I can't sing)

I am in the mood to change my tree to a cubic version.