Kim Stone Poet Free verse

Creative Poverty

Once upon a time
There lived a poor woman
With two children
She struggled every day
To provide for them all
Even a place to stay
The clothes they wore
Generally came from a thrift store
Two or three thread bare and stringy
A few with stains through and through
Feeding everyone took a lot of stew
Became a challenge the poor woman could do without
Boiling coffee in a pot
Filtering with a paper towel
Doing the same grounds again
Gave her two pots to see her through
Cowboy coffee she called it
The children remember to this day
Bring a tea bag
Just one 
Make three cups from just one
Magic made for everyone
The cream, salt, pepper, sugar was good
She helped herself to the free supplies
Always taking a few more then she should
In a napkin
For their own good
Mixing powdered milk into gallon jugs
Helped stretch her dairy from month to month
Shopping in trash bins at vegetable stands
Everything just needed a pare here and there
Digging for clams and oysters
Added to spaghetti sauce
Her kids never knew
The occasional fish either caught or bartered
Added to the larder
Making a chicken last a whole week
Fed the family of three with something good to eat
 The library taught them with a few books
What was edible in the yard
Thank God they looked
Checking the garbage for free furnishings people gave away
Always looking for something she might need
A lamp 
Or table
Some place to read
Hair styles became convenient
With ponytails
For a few years
Entertainment was sparse
Free movies at the library
A swim in the sea
Camping anywhere that was free
Cooking over open fires
With what she had around
All of this gave substance to their lives
Creative poverty
So they could survive

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