A Poetry Soup Finalist- Gold Digger by Juliet Maruru

or plastic that buys the pleasures on high,

I might as well sit down and think hard,

about all that I will buy with gold and paper,

serialized and plastic that shines.

First a bouquet for mama to say ‘thank you’.

and wish her sunshine and rainbows too,

and not sun to scorch her chocolate skin,

but rainbows to herald goodwill and peace.

Then I might try to buy a voice, as loud as,

can be to join all the others that sound,

and call for what a child needs to grow and sing,

the time to play, learn and be loved, more time.

Most of all, I’ll ask not to buy this one, it is priceless,

true friends to love now, forever and always, eternally

not perfect because I am far from the best,

but whose love, like mine, does not need justification.

So you see, what I want needs just a penny to buy,

and what I need wants no money to purchase,

so why the hassle to wear a veil and deceit,

to go down the vents, with spade and pans.

And now I will pay the price it will take

to be unregistered officially from the ranks,

of those who dig and search, for gold and paper,

maybe plastic that shines and buys,

and if you want and care, here I offer,

my friendship with no charge, no price tag.