Trickle Down

D.A. Powell

we were poor

when I lived

with the whore

and the florist

poorest

at the end

of the month

and the tricks

ran out

with the roses

poor so poor

we cd stretch

an egg

or beg

at the ten cent

store

the poor

are with you

always

like the force

in star wars

america’s poor

are taught

to not

think of themselves

as poor

especially

not when

they’re working

and we worked

every night

until four

sucking cock

cutting lines

cutting glads

we weren’t sad

we were poor

we were rich

if you counted

in roaches

 


D. A. Powell's books include Repast (Graywolf, 2014) and Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys (Graywolf, 2012). He teaches at University of San Francisco.