Clay Money: Poem

The format on this is a little off, but actually might enhance the meaning and fun of the poem. I hope you'll enjoy it and, as always, I'm open to critiques.

I understand that gambling is an addictive vice for nay people, and this poems seeks in no way to minimize that. Rather, it is simply a view into human beings using poker chips and the personas of men and women gathered around a poker table. I'm am also planning to revise this poem in the next few weeks, so please check back often.

Enjoy!

Clay Money

Smooth clay money denominated

by color. On their face,

painted brightly the words LAST FRONTIER,

lying in furious short stacks of ten,

maliciously marching across

green felt,

three deep and ten wide. The remainder rummage

between my fingers with a dull

ringing

as I watch the faces, numbers, shapes , colors letters fall,

across the felt

seeing how they match up with the ones

in my hand, bringing with them the rising

and fallings

of the stacks.

I’m cautious to release them.

To my right, frightening stacks of twenty,

ten deep

but only five wide, powerful

in a more obvious way. Their owner is careful, but somewhat

more careless then I. He does not finger

his remainder, but merely lets it lay there,

lonely and unstacked. He broods

and stacks

and destacks, seemingly

without worry or care.

When he runs out,

he pulls out green wads of paper

and creates more stacks

of twenty.

To my left, uneven stacks that rise

and fall with haste, without nourishment

and with much frequency, seemingly with no regard

to the faces, numbers, shapes, colors and letters in his own hands,

not to mention the ones we all share

on the felt.

He shuffles his clay money between his fingers,

but doesn’t grow attached as they are tossed

amongst the others

far more frequently than mine—far more frequently

than everyone’s—and are rarely returned

or multiplied. Before long, the holder

and his haphazard clay money vanish

and order is returned.

I smile at the smoothness between my fingers.

all rights reserved. copyright Justin W. Price

Thanks for Reading.

A FREELANCE WRITER, HONORS STUDENT AND GOVER PRIZE FINALIST, JUSTIN W. PRICE (AKA, PDXKARAOKEGUY)IS A POET, SHORT STORY, BIOGRAPHY AND HUMOR WRITER. HIS POETRY COLLECTION,DIGGING TO CHINA, WAS RELEASED FEBRUARY 2ND, 2013 BY SWEATSHOPPE PUBLICATIONS AND IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM, BARNES AND NOBLE AND THROUGH YOUR LOCAL BOOKSELLER.

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