Rate of Exchange

I am a gap girl–

a hand-struck

lucky penny

unfound

despite redolent obversity

–collecting

nicks

&

knocks

&

scuff

&

scratch

&

dents

&

dings

from a coin flipped

heads, you lose!

into a grate

that’s ungrateful, despite

well…

being a grate!

beats 2 outta 3 tho

¢

–in cracks I expand–

like tar

like spackle

like a life-preserver

’cause I am crazy amorphous like that

every now and then

my portraiture

peeks

up

&

out

spent but unused

my pretty patina

just vague recall

that I

am

a LUCKY penny

…

lucky…

¢

every now and then,

my etched silhouette turns,

alloy neck craning

to allow my sightless eyes

to peer from that storm drain…

Gazing at where I might have spent my time

// through a forest of stamping feet //

passing by

unaware.