"Pennies in a Fountain" by David Pring-Mill, Frequent Contributor

Pennies in a Fountain

David Pring-Mill

The purpose is absent,

but still,

they mill

about with shopping bags.

A copper toss

of luck,

so passive,

adds something

to the cycling airs.

Punctuated, by a splash, a plunk…

with sinking glint, distorted

by the fountain's

flowing water.

Still, dozens of coins

slink together

in random patterns,

to shine upon that shallow surface,

with all the dazzle

and significance

of forgotten wishes.

Poet's Notes:  As a writer, I started off with fiction first. From there, I tried poetry. And then I gravitated towards nonfiction, particularly essays. And to be honest, that final genre is where I'm most comfortable and content.

I still remember one of the first poems that I ever attempted. It was about a shopping mall. I sent it to a couple of publications, but then I turned against it and threw it out. Dozens of my poems were published in the last two years, and so I thought it would be appropriate to return to that original subject and give it another chance.