Penny for Thought

by BIGnick

And here it is

Once again I come in shame

Dragging my feet towards you

Closer…and…closer I’ve never been smooth

Even now I realize the mud I’ve stomped

Caking your soft-tiled floor

There you stand

And upon your gentle face

A bright expectant flame wilds your eyes

The door closes behind me with a thud

Echoing my pounding chest

And then, you see me

Your lips turn a smile and I know there’s no back

Only forward, onward

To my fate I must go

Pondering a knight’s glorious entrance

How he would boldly storm right up

To you and brandish his rugged sword

But me with no blade in sight

And armor made of mere cotton/polyester

Cower, tremble as this vision dissolves

I find myself standing before you

When you ask me what I came for

I think constricting thoughts

That close my throat

I don’t have what she wants

I’m wasting her time

But it’s too late and I press on

I look at your cheery face

And place on the counter

A Ziploc bag spilling 106 pennies all

Surly enough your smile quivers, drops

Eyes fade becoming disinterested and irritated

As you count coin after frustrating coin

Seemingly more numerous than pebbles on a beach

My cheeks redden, mouth dry

As embarrassment takes the whole of me

“One cheeseburger, please….”

BIGnick is a poet, published author of “Kaleidoscope Nights” and the Vice President of the BisMan Writers Guild in Bismarck, ND. His drive to stir up interest in poetry, make it more accessible, and encourage his fellow poets, keeps him fervently writing, reading, and performing. You can visit him at BIGnickPoetry.com or Facebook@BIGnickPoetry.