Systemic Strain, Not Personal Fault
"The walk for help- " I walked miles with
Nothing but courage in my pockets, hoping
The doors ahead still cared ".
" A bank shut its doors on my survival, and
The pavement became my only witness". After
A bank shut its doors on my tomorrow ".
"Need pressed against my ribs while someone
Behind a counter constrained against my dignity ."
I stepped into a room built for mercy, but the air was
Heavy with judgements, eyes measuring my worth
Like I owed them proof of why hunger had followed me in.
They keep telling you
"Hold it together "
Like you ain't already patching cracks
In a world built crooked
You juggle bills,
Appointments,
System that glitch like busted streetlights,
And they still ask
Why you walk like the weight got hands
Around your larynx.
But listen-
This ain't your flaw
This is pressure cooked in premises
You never stepped in,
Policies you never voted for, rules penned
By people who never had to stretch a dollar
Til it yelped.
You ain't the problem.
You're the evidence.
Set goals that are reasonable
Reach them with the ladder of invisibility
Pet your dog and cat in equal proportion
Remember they are pets (They require petting)
Believe in one God. (More than one gets confusing.)
Flush the toilet frequently
Make sure something is in it
Take walks that have a foundation in reality (concrete or dirt will suffice)
Avoid land mines, sea mines and porcupines
Brush your teeth with a functional utensil (instructions will follow)
Follow traffic signals to their logical conclusion
Look both ways before crossing the street (Up and down are optional)
Fill your car with petroleum products (no need to pet them...They are not pets)
Stretch a dollar bill until it screams
Use it wisely (You may never see it again.)
Kiss your wife or husband or what ever the case may be tonight
Remember to breath (Breathing is important)
Make one list a day. (Call it,”List For Today.”) (Two would be ridiculous)
Kiss the day good-bye
My dear old mother
God rest her soul
Way up in the heavens
Now surely a holy saint
‘Cause when she was alive
She was kind to a fault
Had the biggest heart
Of anyone you’d seen
She would bake a million
Cakes ‘n pies of every sort
And people from miles around
Would line up at her door
And she was so shrewd
Fed a family of six on a dime
Could stretch a dollar
Like nobody’s business
She learned to play poker
Became the best I’d ever seen
Had only one vice, poor Mom
When she’d dip into the gin
That’s why to this day
I’ll never turn down
A Beefeater or Tangueray
In her honour, chin chin
Mom I love you
And I miss you,
Bottoms up !
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Submitted on February 15, 2018 for contest GIN IN THE MORNING sponsored by JULIA WARD - RANKED 5TH
My wife joined yoga to stretch out her core;
Though extreme moves sometimes made her holler.
Yet when they raised fees, it hurt a lot more,
So she now has to stretch out a dollar.
Downward Dog used to give satisfaction,
But her teacher has tightened the collar.
When before, body and mind felt as one,
Now she’s training how to stretch a dollar.
She enjoyed spending time with her fit friends
To become a true yoga follower,
But ever since her teach bought a new Benz,
My wife spends more time stretching a dollar.
After years she became one of the pros,
So that I call her, my yoga scholar,
But now she can’t rise up from a Corpse Pose;
It can be deadly stretching a dollar.
Her last session ended with Namaste,
Yet our budget has not gotten smaller.
Since deciding at yoga, she must stay,
Because she learned how to stretch that dollar.
i may have caused a little hell
but you have taught me very well
life isnt easy and times can be hard
and sometimes you just have to play your best card
you've tried and tried and done your best
and i hold your advice over the rest
you've hung in there over the test of time
the only person ive ever seen stretch a dollar from a dime
you've made sure i was happy no matter the price
anything i've asked for you never thought twice
i may not be listening but i still hear what you say
i know im stubborn and tend to learn the hard way
the people in your life that deserve a toast
often the ones that matter the most
taken for granted every single day
too many times i have forgotten to say...
you have always been there you've never let me down
now all i want is to live a simple life in a small town
you may not notice but i see all that you do
you deserve it a million times over but... thank you
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