Giving a Minute Its Five Cents Worth
Giving a Minute Its Five Cents Worth
We try so hard to save the day,
might better worry
how to spend it.
Me, I’ve stored too many–
days projected dry
lain away against the rainy;
hours wadded
like the folded storm bonnets
women used to keep
in their snapped-shut bags;
imagine hosts
of halcyon years–sheaves of wheat
that bow beneath warm skies–
freedom still to come, always–
while I’m feeding this here minute
into a slot cold
as a nickel.
Manifesto: roam fingers
over sides
before slotting;
feel for buffalo.
**************************************
Here’s a belated poem for Gay Reiser Cannon’s post on dVerse Poets Pub to write a poetic manifesto–mine is not exactly about poetry, but good, perhaps, for a coin collector. (Ha.)
For those who are not from the U.S., a buffalo nickel is an old style nickel–with a buffalo on one side–they often tend to be fairly valuable.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, UncategorizedTags: carpe diem poem, Giving a Minute its Five Cents Worth, manicddaily, My own version of Lucy's advice, spending the day rather than saving it, time poem
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ManicDDaily 
March 7, 2014 at 11:44 pm
The manifesto is a piece of sound, sage advice…and how you spend the day is how you spend your life…the most valuable ‘buffalo’ we will ever have.
March 8, 2014 at 1:48 am
Oh I love it. I envy the way you approach things. Always fresh, always new.
You are an artist. I think of you as a kind of Dorothy Parker living this dream-like life in the big city – going to museums and stopping for tea and string quartets. Bumping shoulders with other creative types, having accidental conversations with Robert de Niro or getting your hair styled next to Meryl Streep. Reading on the subway, hearing bits of conversation in Broadway delis. I think if I were there I’d be cool like you, have something to say, know more how life really works instead of inventing it in my head.
So yes, I get what you’re saying here. It’s better to live it than to hoard it (or daydream about it) – spend that nickel, and/or park that car!
You rock K. I love your art, your poems, and just having you in the community!
March 8, 2014 at 9:15 am
Gay–first you are way too kind, but of course, your kind words are very appreciated. If you knew my life, you would laugh indeed at your sweet comments! I don’t maintain my apartment in the City any more so I now spend half my life in the country, and half in the City, and the City part is a bit crazy–most of it is in my job office! Stacked with papers and more papers and with clothes squirreled away on hangers and under my desk so I don’t have to carry business clothes back and forth! It is really quite funny in a way–in another way, kind of awful. I’ve gotten a lot more accepting of wrinkles–in my clothes anyway–it turns out that file cabinets are not the best places to hang pleated pants–the increasing number on my face are a bit of a downer. But thanks. We all have our voices and perspectives and yours is wonderful–I so appreciate being part of this online community and being able to see what people are up to in different parts of the geographic landscape, but with this same driving interest in poetry and thought. k.
March 8, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Oh this just adds to the color. I’m sorry in a way you have to be moving back and forth – but I know that has its own rewards notwithstanding that feeling of being harried. I saw the UK for the most part riding the rails – staying a day or two in every little place I desired. After 7 weeks, I was sorry to think I wouldn’t be running about all the time…I was headed back to hot Texas and my car driving ways. Stay safe. I still have a great picture of you in my mind!
March 8, 2014 at 6:20 pm
Thanks. I am lucky to be only on the trains twice a week–once down and once back–so the commuting (long) not great but not so terrible, and a beautiful ride along Hudson River. Texas is certainly a very interesting place! k.
March 8, 2014 at 2:00 am
hey, I recognize that phrase 🙂 ~
March 8, 2014 at 7:32 am
Ha.
March 8, 2014 at 9:16 am
that “ha” was for you. k .
March 8, 2014 at 5:53 pm
Me too. Love what you did with it.
March 8, 2014 at 7:12 pm
Thanks.
>
March 8, 2014 at 2:53 am
Oh saving days instead of spending them… Wise choice K. 😉
March 8, 2014 at 3:55 am
before slotting;
feel for buffalo.
It gets the feeling one must make sure what one has in hand before deciding to keep them. Keep it if it is valuable! Nicely K!
Hank
March 8, 2014 at 6:40 am
yeah…we better spend those days instead of trying to keep them save in our pockets… for what anyway… it’s like the sunday dress i used to had… i loved it..and was allowed to wear it only on sundays and i grew way too quickly out of it..
March 8, 2014 at 11:11 am
take the time to feel the nickle (day) before you spend it for sure…you wont get it back…and what you get back out of it will be up to the tumblers spinning…after you make the choice to play….
March 8, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Wowzers! “while I’m feeding this here minute
into a slot cold
as a nickel”……..a fantastic write! I love the instruction “feel for buffalo”…..
March 8, 2014 at 3:27 pm
This feels very Zen-like to me. Live in the moment (spend the day) rather than worrying about what tomorrow may bring (saving it). I enjoyed reading this.
March 8, 2014 at 5:10 pm
Like this a bunch! I do the same for then pennies!
March 8, 2014 at 5:56 pm
I believe my grandmother may have been addressing this sort of issue when she would tell me, as I pined for summer vacation or some other promised occasion to arrive, not to wish my life away. Time is surely one of the hardest things imaginable to try to “save.” I love,as I said above, what you’ve done with your comment on M’s site.
March 9, 2014 at 7:55 am
Giving a minute its five cents’ worth – an excellent reason for writing, it seems to me! 🙂
March 10, 2014 at 4:16 am
Poets have to somehow find the precarious balance between imaging life and living it as fully as their images sing. I fail miserably at that, I’m sure … I too would like to be on the side of the buffalo on this side of things, before the coin goes into the vault. But I’m greedy.
March 12, 2014 at 7:46 pm
You have a great perspective on things. Nicely done.