Chapter 11
A poem about money and impermanence
Waiting for the marshal’s men,
I can tell you the velocity
of money is faster out than in.
Squeezing nickels from cotton candy,
watching Dumbo chasing Dumbo,
the Ferris wheel coining sky
reminds me of the Northwest passage.
Questing for what does not exist,
like wrong views of God, can last
a life. (How else can a carni
of a tented city in a meadow
make the Greatest Little Show?)
The prowess of rubes, skill of swells,
the ardor of the drifter for
the runaway. The luck of the Born to Lose.
John Barr’s poems have been published in six books, four fine press editions, and many magazines, including The New York Times, Poetry, and others. John was also the Inaugural President of the Poetry Foundation. His newest book, The Boxer of Quirinal, was published by Red Hen Press in June 2023. You can view more of his work at johnbarrpoetry.com and on Instagram (@johnbarrpoetry). Buy the book.
