Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Peanuts In Pepsi

There’s a sixteen year old kid
in the bottom of this plastic bottle,
chewing peanut icebergs
floating in a salty-cola sea.
An old man sits beside him smoking Kools,
on a paint peeling stool, both
tunneling schemes
under barbed wire roles.
The bottle’s destined for the recycle bin,
the old man was pulled to freedom
on braided cigarette smoke
wrapped around his lungs, and
the kid still puts peanuts in Pepsi,
like pennies in a black hole dream.

21 comments:

Cathy said...

I Love this!

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Nice one Pat.

What prompted this poem...if I may ask?

Neetee said...

Your poem is just great!

It's all about time, and you write about it so well.

floots said...

"like pennies in a black hole dream"
wonderful

Pincushion said...

So much to think about spiralling between cigarettes and black holes!
You provoke me!
:)

Plus Ultra said...

Never dull to visit, this is another good one! Wow, you are prolific! You are truly in the construction business, building souls, erecting spirits...I am just another brick held up by the scaffolding of your verses.More, and make the next one a tower higher than Babel!

Pris said...

I love this, too, Pat. Peanuts in coke bottles. I'd forgotten about that. I remember, too, when the myth was that you'd get high if you put an aspirin into your coke.

Osquer said...

Wow! Your descriptions are wonderful!

Osquer said...

p.s. Pat, do you mind if I put a link to your site on my blog?

Joyce said...

Such an imagination!

Margie said...

You write amazing poems!
I really liked this one!

polona said...

peanuts in a cola? never heard of that before...
captivating images spinning towards a bleak climax...
(hope i didn't say something too stupid here) :)

Pat Paulk said...

Thanks Cathy!!

Thank you Don. Sitting here looking at a Pepsi with a peanut floating in the bottom of it. A teenage habit I reaquired about a week ago.

Thanks QNT, it is. Then and now.

Thank you Jon!!

Thanks Floots!!

Pincushion, I'm glad I can provoke someone, in a positive way. thanks!!

Plus Ultra, I hate dull. Don't know about the tower of babel. Thanks!

Pris, I was told the aspirin in your girlfriend's coke would make her get nekked. Didn't work! Maybe that was someone's Dad trying to cure his wife's headache. Thank you!!

Osquer thank you! Absolutely!! I'll add you to mine.

Only when it's corraled Joyce!!

Thank you Samuru!!

Polona you just take salted peanuts and pour them into your Coke or Pepsi (I prefer Pepsi). Was probably a Southern thing. Thank you!!

Neoma said...

My Aunts and Uncle's used to salt their beer......so why not peanuts in Pepsi........although this was a new one to me. Not heard of that before.

pulled to freedom, have had a few of my friends pulled to freedom also....from cigarette's

Masago said...

...way out there! I haven't tried peanuts in my pepsi but I do like biscotti in my espresso (...like my green tea straight up though).

Carol said...

You are as cool as a Pepsi. Way to write.

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

Maybe we should have a peanut Pepsi AND a Kool!

Amalendu said...

your poems never disappoint...

Pat Paulk said...

Nea I salt everything but my beer. You should try putting peanuts in coke or pepsi, good!!

Vaughn you should try it!!

Carol, thank you!! Cool, I like that!!

Andrew definitely a peanut Pepsi, just say no to the Kools!!

Shyamalee, thank you!!

MB said...

I like the rhythm of this one. Vivid images, too.

Anonymous said...

Interesting...Makes you think.