Broke As A Joke Poem by Paula Glynn

I have no money,
I am broke as a joke,
I am lost,
Wondering what work to do,
Wondering where my life is going,
Taking things day-by-day,
But I am still lost,
I am broke as a joke.

Time continues on,
Time never stops,
The movement of those clocks,
That will never slow,
Never waver, never stop,
Always to be broke as a joke.

I did once work,
But that was then,
For I was a young man,
Doing his GCSE's,
Hoping for a fruitful life,
Not a frugal life,
Where I have money,
And lots of it,
Enjoying the neon lights,
Of that London nightlife,
But I am broke as a joke,

Still, I have a little money,
To pay the electric and gas bills,
And other miscellaneous,
But no money left for enjoyment,
My son needing new shoes for school,
My son to feel the burden of me,
Being broke as a joke,

Money is accounted for,
With the family spreadsheet,
Yet still scraping by,
Money difficult to budget with,
For my family is broke as a joke.

I wish for the day,
That elusive, never to arrive day,
Where those figures on the spreadsheet,
Tell of a windfall, a lottery win,
Where I forget where I've been,
For I feel trapped,
In a world of no money,
With not enough to pay for that holiday,
That dream of a trip to Greece,
Travel being the dream,
Instead seeing the traffic of the city,
And breathing in the polluted air,
To be all is seen,
Due to being as broke as a joke,

For travelling the world is my dream,
To spend time with the other half,
To wear expensive clothing,
And smart, always new shoes,
To use my computer,
Reading the news, that doesn't affect me,
Or my family, for those city problems,
We would never be part of,
Crime not needed, due to our windfall,
And celebrities would be a friend,
Never me being a criminal,
For my money would protect me,
Yet here I am, as broke as a joke,
And I may not smoke,
But I breathe in the city air,
And wonder why life is not fair.