The money

By Craig Kirchner

It is essential to care about friends,

not so much about money.

It seems relevant if you have too much,

drive two cars, or have none, and walk -

don’t know much about either mode.

The philosopher liked having a roll,

slight bulge in his pocket, it wasn’t

a big deal, the pants fit the same -

it made it hard to sit in on the game

and play a hand without it.

The menu changed, a better roof,

security, and friends with new respect.

It got easier, not better, different,

with more butter, buttons, buffoonery -

but the same alliteration.

Searched for the same soul,

designer jeans, suede loafers,

walked, wrote, prayed and played -

the same sidewalk that said the same shit,

in the same run-ons.

Broke, busted out, still walked, talked -

with those less interested, it’s true -

and then there were the few -

hoped for recovery, listened the same,

cared, but not about the money.

Craig Kirchner is retired and living in Jacksonville, because that’s where his granddaughters are. He loves the aesthetics of writing, has a book of poetry, Roomful of Navels and has been nominated three times for Pushcart. He was recently published in Chiron Review, Main Street Rag, The Wise Owl, Breathe, The Wilderness House and dozens of others. He houses 500 books in his office and about 400 poems on a laptop, these words help keep him straight.