Money Poems
A Red Palm
by Gary Soto
You're in this dream of cotton plants.
You raise a hoe, swing, and the first weeds
Fall with a sigh. You take another step,
Chop, and the sigh comes again,
Until you yourself are breathing that way
With each step, a sigh that will follow you into town.
That's hours later. The sun is a red blister
Coming up in your palm. Your back is strong,
Young, not yet the broken chair
......
American Primitive
by William Jay Smith
Look at him there in his stovepipe hat,
His high-top shoes, and his handsome collar;
Only my Daddy could look like that,
And I love my Daddy like he loves his Dollar.
The screen door bangs, and it sounds so funny--
There he is in a shower of gold;
His pockets are stuffed with folding money,
His lips are blue, and his hands feel cold.
......
The Power Of The Dog
by Rudyard Kipling
There is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie--
Perfect passion and worship fed
......
Riot Act, April 29, 1992
by Ai Ogawa
I'm going out and get something.
I don't know what.
I don't care.
Whatever's out there, I'm going to get it.
Look in those shop windows at boxes
and boxes of Reeboks and Nikes
to make me fly through the air
like Michael Jordan
like Magic.
While I'm up there, I see Spike Lee.
......
The Lovers Of The Poor
by Gwendolyn Brooks
arrive. The Ladies from the Ladies' Betterment League
Arrive in the afternoon, the late light slanting
In diluted gold bars across the boulevard brag
Of proud, seamed faces with mercy and murder hinting
Here, there, interrupting, all deep and debonair,
The pink paint on the innocence of fear;
Walk in a gingerly manner up the hall.
Cutting with knives served by their softest care,
Served by their love, so barbarously fair.
Whose mothers taught: You'd better not be cruel!
......
Monetize
by Kevin Schroeder
How does one monetize an emotion?
Trading raw truths in a marketplace of feelings,
Where every vulnerability wears a price tag,
Every confession a coin.
I lay bare my joy’s
The laughter that dances like sunlight,
And the sorrows, dark as night,
Offering them up as wares crafted from my soul.
......
All's Fair in Covert Fuckery
by Frangipani Rhett
Something must be wrong with me
To make me care about a man
Who can't take the time to reply to me
Or simply give a damn
I can only make assumptions
At this point I'm less upset
That he only wanted to fuck me
But too bad for him, I'm not done yet
......
Browsing History
by Lee-Ann Azzopardi
They found out my secret
Yes, they found out how I get to read free articles
They won't let this poor poet read
I have no money to subscribe
Nor have a desire to read anything
Other than the poetry
There's nothing but wars and pandemics
And books that are too expensive
I know they say I have money
But I am keeping it for emergencies
......
Time and Life are passing me by
by Author Reinvented
Time is moving so quickly
I'm falling behind,
I'm working so hard but
My life is passing me by,
My friends are all dating,
And one has got married
Two both have a baby
And a house they are sharing
And I -
......
Economy Holds the Reins
by Oscar Auliq-Ice
In the world of trade and finance,
Where money flows like a river's dance,
The economy holds the reins,
And guides us through prosperity or pains.
With numbers and graphs, it speaks its mind,
And shows us how to be efficient and kind,
To balance the budgets, and reduce the debt,
And ensure that our lives are well set.
......
