Pennies From Heaven

This life is not for complaint, but for satisfaction. - Thoreau

the tarnished penny i find on the sidewalk is infinitely more precious than the world's larges bank vault

why? you ask

because i stopped and stooped to pick mine up

i saw it

i found it

it is in my hands

it is real

a colossal deal

its value is infinite

the almighty rained it down for me in divine, reminding provision

there is always another not far behind

better than a bananna peel

and that is the way that i feel

Author's Note

“For my part, I could easily do without the post-office. I think that there are very few important communications made through it. To speak critically, I never received more than one or two letters in my life … that were worth the postage. The penny-post is, commonly, an institution through which you seriously offer a man that penny for his thoughts which is so often safely offered in jest.” - Thoreau

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

You took me back Pete to when I was a kid. I used to walk with my eyes peeled on the ground looking for loose change that had been dropped from pockets. I quite often got lucky. Standard find was a threepenny bit or a sixpence, but a couple of times I found a two and sixpence and then I thought I'd hit the jackpot. Those were the days I got ninepence for pocketmoney when I was about eight. Sixpence went on the saturday flicks, the rest went on foreign stamps I would buy from Mr William's antique shop. Goodness me you have taken me on a nostalgia trip.

Chris

[Pete]

chris - you have me smiling from ear to ear. i remember well those days. isn't it amazing how as children things like that were so significant. kind of puts things into a different perspective as you remind. i love these things you relate. best wishes your way friend ... :)

[Fran Marie]

See a penny pick it up
all day long you'll have good luck
I'm never too proud to pick
up a penny..and they do.
add up

Like the ending
here better than
a banana peel lol
don't want to come
across those and
slip slide away

[Pete]

lol, thanks for finding a penny for your thoughts fran. happy fourth! ... :)

[R.E. Ray]

Pete, there's much depth in this poem. The clear lesson here is the value of humility, stopping, stooping to give your personal time and attention to something so small and relatively insignificant. The penny relies on us to give it value... or does it? And, I'll take a penny over a banana peel (or whole banana) any day. An enjoyable poem, paired well with the image, quote and music.

[Pete]

i like where you went with this. yes, so important to remember where we came from. humility is a great thing and keeps us honest and thankful in an increasingly difficult world. wealth can distort humble truth and cause us to loose perspective. great thoughts on the matter r.e. ... :)

The penny relies on us to give it value... or does it? - a question to hold close for the ages