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Poetry




The Din by R Bennett Okerstrom 42 strong words. [42 words]
A Guy Who Didn't Talk by Corey Alissa A poem about a shy guy and his life. [101 words]
You Let Your Jealousy Overtake You by Omar Longoria Dumb feelings thatare already gone from my soul. [111 words]
Whispers From Small French Children by Martin De Leon - [73 words]
We Care Carebears We Care! by Omar Longoria I have know idea where this came from. Goofy... but I like it. [75 words]
The Killing Heart by Christy Mack I'm not exactly sure what it's about. Just started writing. You decide. Fiction. [106 words]
Screaming Wind Knows by Omar Longoria You ever feel like your falling into a dream within a dream? [72 words]
Psalms Of A Hypocrite by Janae D Anthony No time to pray. [521 words]
Ponderings: A Collection by Reed Stuart A small collection of personal thoughts [606 words]
Oh Baby by Omar Longoria - [115 words]
Make Sure Their Dead My Dear by Omar Longoria don't go no not over there [109 words]
Leave It Alone by Omar Longoria What seems important now won't last forever. [67 words]
It Never Ends by Omar Longoria see i try, to look up to, to the sky, but my eyes burn! [117 words]
Downtown: Coney Island Footlong by R Bennett Okerstrom Part four of a series referring to Downtown Detroit's homeless population. [635 words]
Don't Fall On My Living Roots by Omar Longoria I drank to much last night... my head. and then you call me. [109 words]
And Then You Wouldn't Want It Any Other Way by Omar Longoria close your eyes. see the snake. one red eye and one green eye. 7 mi... [69 words]
Planar Void by Joey The Raven "Planar Void", titled after one of the poems in it, contains mostly love poems written after a brea... [2,784 words]
Weeping Willows by Randy Guess A man's brother talks about his suicide...and different views of life. [881 words]
To All The Lonely by Nancy F. Carlson this is expression of deep feelings of my own about fighting and boyfriends. there all poem... [1,087 words]
November Vibe by Rob Parrish - [360 words]
Infinity Of Evil And Others by Steven K Mitchell More dark poetry. [741 words]
He Knocked The Budgie Over by Joe Gallivan A humorous poem inspired by an assignment at a Creative Writing class [238 words]
Dreams by Melloson Allen - [124 words]
Downtown: One Eye by R Bennett Okerstrom Part two of a series referring to Downtown Detroit's homeless population. [223 words]
Downtown: Mr. O.D.C. Preacher by R Bennett Okerstrom Part three of a series referring to Downtown Detroit's homeless population. [261 words]
Downtown: Do You Have A Quarter?
All You by Rob Parrish - [249 words]
New Beginning by R Bennett Okerstrom - [93 words]
Nothing by R Bennett Okerstrom - [77 words]
'twas The Night Before X-Mas 2k by Mason Cole The real meaning of Christmas condensed into poetry form. [371 words]
War Chess by Mason Cole An allegorical look at the Civil War, espcially Lee and Grant. [548 words]
Us by R Bennett Okerstrom - [182 words]
To My Blooming Rose by Mason Cole A short work of dedication to a very special someone. [113 words]
The Stars by Mason Cole A short philosophical piece. [219 words]
The Roof That Night by Bruce The Mtndewpoet Just a bit of fantasy... [114 words]
The Rhyme Of Eternal Triangles by Richard Koss A poem that describes in a silly, funny way, the futility of wanting someone wh... [223 words]
The Greatest Of All by Mason Cole A work of triumph about a personal hero of mine. [381 words]
The Form Of Poetry by Mason Cole Peotry is an undefinable thing in technical terms. This piece is meant to help describe jus... [318 words]
The Eyes Of God by Janae D Anthony The omniscience of God. [190 words]

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TITLE (EDIT)
Downtown: Do You Have A Quarter?
DESCRIPTION
Part one of a series referring to Downtown Detroit's homeless population.
[315 words]
AUTHOR
R Bennett Okerstrom
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A collection of my work from circa 1995 to the present. Some dark and deep, others bright and cheerful.
[December 2014]
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (63)
Asylum Of My Soul (Poetry) Nowhere to go. [36 words]
Blanket Of Trust (Poetry) Take my secret to your grave [59 words]
Blood Game (Songs) A lyrical taste of the hunt created solely for a friend's upcoming novel. [139 words] [Horror]
Broken Halo (Songs) An angel falls from her sky [182 words]
Bryna (Poetry) Saying goodbye to my mom [131 words]
Columbian Necktie (Songs) When you've said one too many things to piss someone off...someone writes a heavy metal song about you. [99 words] [Horror]
Dark Wave (Poetry) Exorcising demons of the past [113 words]
Deliverance (Poetry) Lingering thoughts and images of something I cannot recall. [97 words]
Denial (Poetry) Forbidden love [191 words]
Downtown: Coney Island Footlong (Poetry) Part four of a series referring to Downtown Detroit's homeless population. [635 words]
Downtown: Mr. O.D.C. Preacher (Poetry) Part three of a series referring to Downtown Detroit's homeless population. [261 words]
Downtown: One Eye (Poetry) Part two of a series referring to Downtown Detroit's homeless population. [223 words]
Dreamscape: The Thirst (Poetry) It even happens in your dreams. [77 words]
Echoes In My Head (Poetry) Laying in bed on December 24th. [61 words] [Drama]
Eternal Desire (Poetry) A vampire will stop at nothing to claim his bride and grant her immortality. [84 words]
Ever And Ever (Songs) Just another heavy guitar and deep baseline type of song on the subject of immortality. [127 words]
Faceless (Songs) The rise to the top can end abruptly. [116 words]
Feels Like Forever (Poetry) Sometimes you miss someone, if even for a day, and it feels like forever. [66 words] [Romance]
Here Alone (Songs) Sometimes you never see it coming [104 words]
I Keep On Falling For You (Songs) Just found it and others in a folder tagged "1993 Work" [142 words]
I Need (Poetry) This is a song about never really knowing what you had until it's gone. [124 words]
I Own You (Poetry) Never forget that I own you. [88 words]
Imperfection (Poetry) - [62 words]
In Your Dreams (Poetry) - [71 words]
Infidelity (Poetry) When a husband ignores his wife, a marriage will crumble and the wife will stray... [98 words]
Influence (Poetry) How influential can a demon of the night be? [218 words]
Losing Battle (Poetry) Prepare for sin. [109 words]
Lost Without You (Songs) More from the "1993 Work" folder. [179 words]
Mended Heart (Poetry) - [90 words]
Never Regret What Makes You Smile (Poetry) When two people want to be together and they aren't. [94 words] [Relationships]
New Beginning (Poetry) - [93 words]
Nobody Likes You (Songs) How does it feel to be the person that has everything but friends? [170 words]
Nothing (Poetry) - [77 words]
Progressive Silence (Poetry) Sometimes there is no sound. Starting over never works. [79 words]
R.A.O. (Poetry) Saying goodbye to my Dad [79 words]
Remember (To Remind Me) (Songs) Punkish song. [103 words]
Saddam Hussein (Poetry) I was bored. Therefore I write. [39 words]
Sanguinary (Poetry) The blood continues to flow in this experimental preface followed by poetry. [128 words] [Horror]
Seed (Poetry) Are eight lines enough? [44 words]
Shattered Dream (Poetry) The result of betrayal by one's best friend and one's girlfriend. [141 words]
Shut Your Mouth (Songs) Sometimes you just need to shut your mouth! [92 words]
Six (Poetry) What would you do with only six days? [68 words]
Someone Like You (Poetry) - [74 words]
Sounds Of A Summer Countryside (Poetry) - [113 words]
Standing On The Edge Of Depression (Poetry) Self-worth, self-pity and self-confidence. [137 words]
Storymania (Poetry) What is Storymania? [97 words]
Temporary Dreams (Poetry) - [36 words]
The Din (Poetry) 42 strong words. [42 words]
The Embrace (Poetry) A newly born vampire's first taste. [90 words]
The Voice (Poetry) Evil whispers across the wind. [127 words]
Theend (Songs) It's the end of this relationship. [106 words]
To Be Alone (Songs) I'd rather be alone than trapped. [106 words]
Unbridled Fury: The Battle To Breathe (Essays) Subconscious thought... [685 words]
Unbridled Fury: The Subconscious (Essays) Subconscious thought... [365 words]
Undaunting (Poetry) Bring me home [66 words] [Motivational]
Unflowing (Poetry) - [62 words]
Untitled -- 1989 (Poetry) As taken from "Disintegration". [96 words]
Us (Poetry) - [182 words]
Wake Of Destruction (Songs) You can run, but you cannot outrun fate. [112 words]
We Are Right (Poetry) You should always fight for what’s right in life and in love. [113 words] [Romance]
Witch Hunt (Poetry) Defeating the evil that takes away life is more difficult than it seems. [165 words] [Horror]
(I See) The Light (Poetry) Can you see the light? [98 words]
(It's Time To) Cut The Cord (Songs) There comes a time when you just need to cut the cord [131 words]
Downtown: Do You Have A Quarter?
R Bennett Okerstrom

"Do you have a quarter?"
You ask me this everytime I see you.
My answer, always the same.
"No, do you?"
You diligently patrol Fort Street from Washington to Shelby, sparing not a passerby.
"Do you have a quarter?"
"Do you have a quarter?"
"Do you have a quarter?"
Working from sunrise to sunset, collecting the Fort Street toll from all who are empathetic; those who don't know you and feel sorry for you.
How many quarters do you earn in one day?
Encountering thousands of donors on their way to work, to lunch, to go home after a grueling day of ass-kissing.
How many give you a quarter because their day sucked so bad that they realize how it must be for you?
How horrible it must be for you to live on the streets of Downtown Detroit.
How terrible it must be for you to be cold and alone all night while they go home to a loving family of four and a patient dog laying by the front door.
How atrocious it must be for you to eat out of dumpsters while they have the option of dining at home or frequenting the local Italian restaurant.
Have they ever stopped to think how many quarters you may acquire during your ten hour shift?
No. They just give you their spare change because you are dressed in rags, limping down Fort Street.
I've watched you. I've studied you. I've been amazed by you.
On average, you solicit roughly three thousand prolitariats a day; being paid by every fifth for your efforts.
Six hundred donations of atleast a quarter per day---all tax free.
No less than one hundred fifty dollars a day, not bad for a ten hour shift.
And none to Uncle Sam.
Twenty-six hundred working hours in your year.
It must be nice to make thirty-nine thousand tax free dollars every year. That's one hundred and fifty-six thousand quarters.
"Do you have a quarter?"
Let me repeat my answer, "No, do you?"
I know you do.

 

READER'S REVIEWS (9)
DISCLAIMER: STORYMANIA DOES NOT PROVIDE AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWS. ALL REVIEWS ARE PROVIDED BY NON-ASSOCIATED VISITORS, REGARDLESS OF THE WAY THEY CALL THEMSELVES.

"Excellent description. Very good development and focus." -- Steven, Tonawonda, NY.
"She still has never given me a quarter after all of these years!" -- R. Bennett.
"I was in the mood for another Downtown Detroit piece tonight and once again you impressed me with your work! You haven't disappointed me yet. I am beggining to feel that I already know this town I have never been in! Keep enlightening us with your insights. I am sure you have a hundred more Detroit stories in your head and maybe even thousands more in your heart! Thanks for posting this piece, I will get to the others as time permits. " -- Monte, USA.
"I agree with Monte ... I would very much enjoy reading more, getting a feel for "your" city ..." -- Judith .
"excellent story! im jealous, youre good. especially liked the ending....personally i give to people down on their luck, try to avoid pro's though." -- sunny, DC, usa.
"Thank you Sunny. I would never refer to them as "down on their luck." Luck has nothing to do with it." -- R. Bennett .
"I work downtown, so I see this woman on a regular basis. I thought you might be interested to know that she now wants a dollar." -- JM.
"Brilliant!" -- Shelly, Cincinnati, Ohio.
"Thanks!" -- R. Bennett.

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2000 R Bennett Okerstrom
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
October 2000
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2531
 

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