We swallow silver pennies on a sunny afternoon
They light us up from inside
We paid the ferryman in gold
What was left we hid in the seams of our pockets
It is a constant wait
A constant nagging
No powder will help
No can will stop the thoughts from racing
Quite how we reached the side of the river we do not know
There is a bridge
It travels over the churned up water
We look over its railings
There was a time when we would sit on top and swing our legs
Those were the richest days
Now there is an emptiness which cannot be filled
When we reach the other side we scoop up the pennies into our hand
Count them out one by one
There is just enough to survive
Too few to live
We swallow silver pennies on a sunny afternoon.
they light us up from inside.. fabulous imagery ...great read Jae.
ReplyDeleteThank your Thotpuurge
Delete"They light us up from inside" Yes! It is these riches--our inner spirit--that keeps us going and needs replenishment. I love the details in this poem, both the uncertain ones and the memory ones.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan
DeleteLove the image of the 'richest days' with its beautiful and carefree attitude in spite of the reality image 'There is just enough to survive / Too few to live'.
ReplyDeleteI see this poem both as a metaphor for greed and for lost innocence. Both are hard to swallow (no pun intended).
ReplyDeleteThank you Magical - and we like it as a pun
DeleteAn emptiness that cannot be filled...but we try with pennies.
ReplyDeleteThat we do..thanks Ann
Delete"....Just enough to survive....too few to live...." That is a line that applies to so many people in this world.......I love the images in this poem. "There is a bridge". I can see you, sitting on the rail in "the richest days". I love the silver pennies and paying the ferryman in gold. One of my new favourites of yours.
ReplyDeleteThank you so Sherry :-)
DeleteA wonderful write!!! I love it all, and strange as it may seem, I think I would love to "swallow pennies on a sunny afternoon."
ReplyDeleteThank you Annell
DeleteI read your blog list, and I think that is me at the bottom. I clicked on it, and it went no where? Thank you for including me. My blog is http://somethingsithinkabout-annell-annell.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteYou're on the top of my list now ;)
DeleteHow beautifully you wrote this piece Jae. How the reader juggles the sentences to determine its true meaning but throughout the writing there is this sadness of disappointment comparing of what was with the present and contemplating all the what ifs of life.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insightful comment Old Egg
Deletewonderful write... it has highs and lows and leaves one thinking
ReplyDeleteThanks Robert
DeleteThis is one of your best in my opinion. Although the swallowing pennies is an incredible image, it is the sitting on the bridge and swinging our legs...line that captivates and holds me. The richest of days...I remember days like that when I was younger. Beautiful write.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Toni
Delete'just enough to survive' - keeps you going while you are trying to live.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful write, Jae!
Thanks Sara
DeleteThis desolate feeling...with just enough to survive....it comes across so strongly. A good write.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vivian
DeleteI really love this, Jae it's one of my favorites by you. Lines like,"No powder will help," and "Now there is an emptiness which cannot be filled," talks directly to me. My "seams" are always empty these days. You were first to link this week too, this is a subject we can all really identify with. Hugs!
ReplyDelete