Green

More seductive than the seductress’s lips

Or the swaying movement of her hips

The reason she accompanies the sailor off his ship

The little green note between his fingertips

You can see the greed, transparent in his eyes

He gambles over and over for that unholy prize

Will he be the king of diamonds or the king of sighs?

For the little green note he sneaks and spies.

She spots him walking on the street

With a smile on his face and a jump in his feet

She drags him into the ally, later leaves him white as a sheet

Triumphant, with the little green note her night’s meal is concrete

And then some, they work all day and night

In their faith, their mantra they continuously recite

If we do good, we will be treated right

Yet the little green bill stays out of sight.

Green makes the world go round

Turning an churning without a sound

Some may have earned and some may have found

But none can take it 6 feet into the ground

So frivolous and crass are money matters

It turns even the sanest of the sane into hatters

Leaves so many good souls bruised and battered

The thin get thinner and the fat get fatter.

Green is the colour of the earth, of life and of being

But what is this we have been seeing?

A little green bill has everyone fleeing

To steal, to murder, to gamble a living?

who am i?

who are you?

and why do you look at me so strangely. like i'm almost peculiar.

i don't think i recognize you.

why so judgmental? what business do you have here?

i don't walk funny, do i?

i used to think i walked fine till you sauntered in.

why do you still glare? do you think i'll break and cry?

well, quite honestly, chances of that are quite thin.

now what are you saying?

my clothes are funny? they aren't the right style?

well you can buy me new ones if you don't mind paying.

though this has been working for me since a long while.

are you going to comment on my hair?

is there something wrong with it too?

does it not have that precisely right flair?

wait you might be right, what do you think i should do?

should i cut it short or let it straight?

maybe dye it lighter, or a vibrant shade.

i know i'm not slender, its an ugly trait.

its fine. i can always fight the way i was made.

now whats the look for? don't you recognize me?

i'm her, not new but improved

isn't this what you wanted me to be?

why don't you respond? why do you mimic me?

why do you blink when i blink? is that a tear i see?

is the tear i see, the tear i feel roll down my cheek?

why don't you look happy? i did all this because of you?

aren't i better? transformed completely from hair to shoe?

why do you look me up and down, as i do you?

why are you so disappointed? i look just like you!

i wipe my eyes with my sparkly sleeve.

i catch your eye as you put your hand in your pocket, same as me.

fed-up of both your judgement and sorrow, we both turn around and leave.

i got rid of you. the problem is getting rid of ME.