On the slots

Afterwards, our hands felt dirty
The tuppenny pieces had rattled from our hands
Chinged bells, clattered into the piles of coins
To little noticeable effect
The five pound note still clung to the shelf
Dangling a worthwhile return
Putting a cap on how many coins we rolled through the slots
Most of what went in fell out
Went back in
Not free tuppences, just more of them
To roll back into the slots
You had fared no better
We could afford a pound
Changed down into tuppences
Our cheap fun being used to justify
Profiteering from the desperate
Afterwards, my soul felt dirty

~

CLP 14/10/2025