Two poems ----- Joseph Riccardi

EPITAPH

No longer to eat this bread of Earth,

Will I taste a richer bread,

Will I sit again at someone's board

Or will stones remain my bed?

So traveler, pass on --

And if your bread is poor,

Be thankful you can curse at it,

And pound on the baker's door!

POVERTY

Poverty is a black kid

bouncing on a box spring

put out for the garbage --

but now a trampoline!

Poverty is looking for coins

under the sofa cushions,

fallen from pockets

to buy bread and milk!

Poverty is ten kids

climbing over a truck

marked "Good Humor" --

buying half of an ice pop!

Poverty is a toothache

and you with no dentist

to relieve the pain,

and you with no mother!

Poverty's a saxophone

you have to conceal

as you run home

from band practice!

Poverty's having no legs

and you on a roller

plunking the banjo,

while begging for money!

Poverty's never putting

your rippling muscles

to useful endeavor,

but only to harming!