Daily Bread
by John Riley
When I was a lovely boy
trapped for months in prison
paying back the state
for selling a bag of dope
criminally under-weight
I woke before dawn
to go to the mess hall
and make the breakfast bread.
Operating the mixer
churning flour and water
and the stinking yeast
into biscuit dough
I'd watch the blade lope
and wonder if I'd like
to become another thing
made from new ingredients
so that none of what I was
would talk to me again.
But I was a bright kid
although overly restrained
and knew total eradication
is impossible, that time
will never rise,
that the problem with youth
is that the world is round.
trapped for months in prison
paying back the state
for selling a bag of dope
criminally under-weight
I woke before dawn
to go to the mess hall
and make the breakfast bread.
Operating the mixer
churning flour and water
and the stinking yeast
into biscuit dough
I'd watch the blade lope
and wonder if I'd like
to become another thing
made from new ingredients
so that none of what I was
would talk to me again.
But I was a bright kid
although overly restrained
and knew total eradication
is impossible, that time
will never rise,
that the problem with youth
is that the world is round.
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Author's Note
I just revised this little poem! You can't know what a big deal that is.
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and knew total eradication/
is impossible, that time/
will never rise,/
that the problem with youth/
is that the world is round.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Go big (bigger) at the end.
I know what it is to look back and wish, embarrassedly, horrifiedly, the way I'd had it before hadn't been that way. I don't remember this one the way you had it before, but the way it is now truly sings. *
*
You could do a lot with this.*
*, John. Smart poem. "... that time
will never rise,..." Like biscuits do.
* I kinda can guess about this revision being a big deal. It's a marvelous poem and not so little after all.
Thank you nice people so much.
"that time will never rise."
Good work. I like the voice in the poem. #
Love it.*
"I'd watch the blade lope
and wonder if I'd like
to become another thing
made from new ingredients
so that none of what I was
would talk to me again."
Hitting spot on. *
Thanks Steven, Gary and Daniel. Makes my day.
Very toughing, John. *
Thanks, Brenda
Man, this is just excellent!