THE LONGEST DROUGHT

THE LONGEST DROUGHT

The flood of opportunity now barely makes a wave,
The singer’s voice is silenced, the actors vanish from the stage.

Though work expands to fill the time, the idle hours remain
And brother, can you spare a dime becomes my sad refrain.

And I look for a quick way out, but I’m stranded betwixt and between.
I swear this is the longest drought my weary soul has ever seen.

I’m standing in these lines for bread, selling pencils on the street,
With a sign that says will work for food held high in the noon time heat.

It’s either feast or famine in this unforgiving land.
Feast a distant memory, famine gains the upper hand.

The flood of opportunity is foolhardy and fickle.
What once gushed like a geyser has turned into a trickle.

Though work expands to fill the time, the idle hours revolve and spin,
And down and out is my claim to fame, deserted by the eagle’s grin.

And so I stumble through this desert, looking for a patch of green.
I swear this is the longest drought my heavy heart has ever seen.

-Bruce Potts
Copyright 2008
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am indebted to the songs "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" written by Jay Gorney, which I first heard on Judy Collins' LP Judith, and for the eagle's grin reference I am indebted to Fred Karlin, James Griffin, Rob Wilson, and Jimmy Cox who wrote "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out", which I first heard on Don McLean's CD For the Memories. The complete line is "if I ever get hold of a dollar again, I'm going to hold on to it 'til the eagle grins." What a great line to steal for a poem, huh?