Bail Out

Bail Out

A silver piece or two or stainless steel or lead,
The price for shiny things we pay or barter.
And Mercury and quicksilver same,
Bundled, frozen, amalgamated: fiat.

What money? What Betrayal? What sterility? Poison?
The price for dream’d betrayals,
Blossomed or hatched or cesarean’d,
Unsafe as any seed: still unplanted.

Behold the plastic answer, its supple worthless bonds,
The price for imagination, hope—nay faith—
Nigh full faith and credit, silicon, silicone,
Saline’d breast unsuckled.

And trade, oh trade this thought,
Not perish’d, nor fully ripe’d, nor stale—a
Bit of crust, of cake, un-glutened, buttered,
Washed down with salty hemlock.