Penury Pockets Poem by John Sensele

Surfaces we trace as we brace for aces, races we run alongside a van
Etch memories, fetch salaries or hatch stories
In which our heroes Zorros outgun
Villains slain to save brains that gain somnolent sleep in dormitories

After eight hours of swotting and ebullient evenings jotting notes
In a curriculum our bums, drums in slums
Seldom put to votes when our homework ingests quotes
Favoured by our literature marks that come

At a price to icy dice and slice of labour
Nerds, nomads and laggards
Invest with zest in each endeavour
We make while gregarious guards

Snatch several cents with civilized scents
From our penury pockets
As our American, Afro-American and Armenian accents
Irritate rubric dockets to rotate states of stingy scores in strict sockets.