A Jar of Pennies

By Leah T.

We want to include a trigger warning with this poem for violence.

Of trifling wealth
Acquired by stealth
From whence each Penny came
No thought to claim
A jar of pennies with no name

Born from Oblivion
Through twisted Darwinian
Origins inferior, so proclaimed
With misinformed disdain, she bowed in shame
A jar of pennies with no name

Origins inferior, her evolution?
No resolution
Head bowed in shame
Unknowingly accepting maim
A jar of pennies with no name

Then, a glimmer of joy. Too simple. A Boy
Swept up in a whirl
Stupid, stupid,young girl!
Vested in You, she began to redeem
A jar of pennies with no name

Treasure You, so Esteemed
You Superior
Oh so it seemed
Vested in You, she chose to redeem
A jar of pennies with no name

The choice was hers, she happily beamed
Treasure You. she full of gleam
Each coin, she exchanged for a dream
Vested in You, she chose to redeem
A Jar of pennies with no name

she saw the signs, yet she paid the price
Cheapened by hope
she thought to cope
Stupefied, paralyzed, mortified she remained
A Jar of pennies with no name

Terror and Suspense You wrote the play
To survive, should she avoid or placate?
Retribution or restitution? Which will it be today?
Unforeseen rage, she learns to anticipate
She prays You will make it a pleasant day

Dragging her across a cold, hard floor, Your young, scared wife
Cornering her into a bathtub chasing her with a sharp kitchen knife
Kicking her pregnant belly, this is how you value life?
Threats of suicide so she can’t disobey
Speeding down an icy mountain, a familiar dose of rage
To end what started as a pleasant day

Pennies near gone, too late to treasure
Look at the Jar, how many left, easy to measure
Gone to Oblivion
Twenty years later, nearly all forsaken
No more, she screams! You have no more power to shaken

You must concede to her trauma and fear
That You alone placed in there
Hiding behind her painful rage, You then boastfully declare:
‘See, see how crazy she is, she does dare!’
“I am the real victim here.”

You then put up a wall to keep her at bay
You claim it the only way to tolerate her newfound sway
To hide behind her painful rage, You again boastfully declare:
‘See, see how she does dare!’
“I am the real victim here.”