Poem by Jim Culleny

Gong and Pennywhistle

You can play a cheap tin pennywhistle
or beat on a big gold gong. Down here on earth
in the soft grass or stinging thistles
nobody stays here for long

—nobody stays here for long,

those up on high
and those way down low
breathe the same bitter air,
we’ll just have to see how it goes

You can bring down the house with your gong
if you’re not careful the house can be had for a song
but many a song has been more than tearful
for both the weak and the strong so,

sing for the loss of the high,
sing for the loss of the low
who breathe the same bitter air,
we’ll just have to see how it goes

The future’s been sold, contracts more than settled
in clauses clear as a bell, no profit’s too high,
in markets of precious metal, just buy
everything you can sell.

Those up on high
and those way down low
breathe the same bitter air
we’ll just have to see how it goes.

Yeah, you can play a cheap tin pennywhistle
or beat on a big gold gong, down here on earth
in the soft grass or stinging thistles
nobody stays here for long,

—nobody stays here for long

by Jim Culleny
1/14/14
Copyright 2014

Song: Gong and Pennywhistle by Jim Culleny