Sleight of hand

Poetry Original Works - Post Your Poems
1

Apparently

the gent in the top hat

with the slanted smile

had two pennies to rub together,

which when twisted in his palm

became four, then more.

He called it growth.

he could only play this trick

if we paid; we did. Who wouldn’t?

That is the magic. No one can refuse

procreation. Our wives smile knowingly

even as our cash vanished, as did he, like dust.

Rumour has it he learnt this deception

from a dusky traveller who came by on a whim.

As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west,

so do sins my neighbor told me. Work my friend

work and be vigilant, envy is an original sin

and we know where that came from. Satan

is tireless.

I think of that, the translated truths,

Jewish adversaries who become Christian slanderers,

how the borrowers proscecute the lenders

until lenders learn sleight of hand

until due process mirrors persecution.

2

Hi Dave,
The initial folktale narrative hooked me. The religious attachments lost me (no doubt due to my indifference). From your poem, I read that Satan works tirelessly (driven by envy). Either way, the preachy neighbour was a switch off. I like the ‘translated truths’ and the implications there, but again the messaging didn’t hook my interest. I would finish on either ‘like dust’ or ‘our wives smile knowingly’.

Phil

1 Like
3

Thanks Phil

Good comments. I was aware it was actually two epoems in the endm the one sort explaining the other but then so figuratively that it in fact lost meaning and poetic clarity. Thanks

4

I’d end on this line. I agree with phil.

5

Thanks for the comment. I ahvetaken all comments on board and the direction is clear