A poem written for the ‘Poetry of Money’ Poets’ Corner event, and reprised at the Folkestone Open Quarter 2019 Poets’ Corner at Steep Street.

A voice wafted
Over my coffee cup
Penny for your thoughts?
I replied, the price has gone up
Inflation you see
A penny is no longer enough

Too much to think about these days
Will we survive climate change?
Will AI turn us into slaves
Do the people with the money
And the power
Give those below anything but a glower

It's hard to think
When the thing in my pocket
Just blinks and blinks
It asked for a finger print the other day ...
That thoughts a big one
How much will you pay?

If you really want to know
I accept bank transfers, bitcoins
Donations to my crowdfunder
And book tokens
More of those
Could make this world less broken

Tell you what
Let's call it a pound
I'll even throw in a frown
I mean that will a penny get you?
At the station spending a penny
Will cost you 50

Taxing bodily functions
That thought there ...
Give me a tenner
And I'll throw in
A vacant stare
Loving that inflation

Listen, I said
I don't think
You can afford this chat
Too many thoughts
Not enough pennies
Here's an invoice, and my CIC report

One more thought
This one for free
Does this money
Mean anything
Or is it just
Hegemony?

Dave James Horn ©