A Nickle Peanut Patty

Ron Baron

Dad bought us all a peanut patty--
five times a nickel's a quarter
Joe gave me half;
said he didn't like peanuts.
Times aren't the same anymore.

People don't care for each other.
Helping a neighbor's passe'
keep what you've got;
get more if you can--
Things changed a lot in forty years.

Truck drivers get twenty dollars an hour,
Butchers make more than school teachers,
Cows still eat grass,
and sometimes bear twins--
Steak costs about four dollars a pound.

Farmers still sow tiny seeds,
God provides sunshine and rain,
combines are priced
near a half-million bucks -
Bread's nearly two dollars a loaf

Greed took possession of nations,
History says, now they're no more.
God said, "Do others ,
as you'd have be done."
You can't get a nickel peanut patty anymore.

The 2River View, 1_3 (Spring 1997)