He’s 40 and glued to football pixels
He slides his fingers into the depths of his wallet
to slide me a crumpled daily five.
Every day, his saliva spews out
jersey numbers of the winning team,
mumbling that I “buy myself something nice”
The cashier prints out the Powerball;
He tells me that I might have a gambling problem
I tell him that I’m not the one who is
Exchanging 9-to-5 paychecks into pipe dreams
Shotgunning whiskeys and throning the
Living room sofa with Malboro longing.
Convenience store door chimes ring wearily
As I pick up my Cadbury’s chocolate bar,
Sickly sweet and momentary like all types of want.
Richard Su
Grade: 10 / Sec. IV
Fraser Heights Secondary School
Surrey, BC
“This poem displays gluttony within the family. It shows how we overindulge ourselves in all types of want instead of seeking for more in life.”
Bio
Richard Su is a Chinese-Canadian poet. He has been featured in multiple lit mags and recognized by the Poetry Society of UK. In his spare time, Richard enjoys film photography.