number 21

food & thought
She took potatoes and made a soup, heavy for the belly and warm against all that's cold outside, against the chill downstairs in this place and we ate quietly with her son, laughing over simple, good things -- things the same flavor and character of the fare we spooned out of large coffee cups for bowls, her husband out to spend time with a friend, she and I sat afterwards, friends ourselves, talking about what's hard, what's worth anything, all our talk and my thoughts circling around the pennies, the monies and the thin pants pockets that don't have them right now, again, and all our words came out poor and honest and simple and sweet -- the song of folks that don't have and want to believe they don't need what we can lay hands on here.

Poor Folks
Snow outside, we're money broke,
sipping hot chocolate like it's
steamy champagne. Thin faith smiles.