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Payback

It’s a sad posture I’ve been placed in.

The gates are guarded and I can’t

jump the fence; the peptic nature

of too much roughage. Pills for this,

pills for that. I guess I’m here

to reflect on my omissions and sins:

don’t gamble with the Gods

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or dick around with fate.

All that’s left is Social Security,

an old Chevy Van and the dog,

even he doesn’t do what I say.

I want someone to miss me

before it’s too late. I want to be Mister

again, assistants who write down

my thoughts, strategies, my plans,

to have it mean something to someone

again. Business class? No.

First Class when I fly. It’s my schedule

that counts, my reports they quote.

I want a reason to wear expensive suits,

my rare skin wing tips. I want money again.

I want hair I don’t have to dye.

All my wives were younger and taller

but when I stood on my wallet

I looked them square in the eye. I want

to be that vain son-of-a-bitch

one more time before I die.

Ron Salisbury


Ron Salisbury is a writer who has integrated his poetry with his business life for decades. For many years he was chief real estate appraiser for a major bank and more recently owned and operated Deaf Dog Coffee, a seven-store chain of espresso bars in Sonoma, Petaluma, and Santa Rosa. Now, three wives deep, four children long, and assorted careers past, he teaches and works as a building and real estate consultant. His poems have been published for years in both domestic and foreign literary journals. “Payback” is taken from his collection
Grapefruit and is reprinted by permission.

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It’s a sad posture I’ve been placed in.

The gates are guarded and I can’t

jump the fence; the peptic nature

of too much roughage. Pills for this,

pills for that. I guess I’m here

to reflect on my omissions and sins:

don’t gamble with the Gods

Sponsored
Sponsored

or dick around with fate.

All that’s left is Social Security,

an old Chevy Van and the dog,

even he doesn’t do what I say.

I want someone to miss me

before it’s too late. I want to be Mister

again, assistants who write down

my thoughts, strategies, my plans,

to have it mean something to someone

again. Business class? No.

First Class when I fly. It’s my schedule

that counts, my reports they quote.

I want a reason to wear expensive suits,

my rare skin wing tips. I want money again.

I want hair I don’t have to dye.

All my wives were younger and taller

but when I stood on my wallet

I looked them square in the eye. I want

to be that vain son-of-a-bitch

one more time before I die.

Ron Salisbury


Ron Salisbury is a writer who has integrated his poetry with his business life for decades. For many years he was chief real estate appraiser for a major bank and more recently owned and operated Deaf Dog Coffee, a seven-store chain of espresso bars in Sonoma, Petaluma, and Santa Rosa. Now, three wives deep, four children long, and assorted careers past, he teaches and works as a building and real estate consultant. His poems have been published for years in both domestic and foreign literary journals. “Payback” is taken from his collection
Grapefruit and is reprinted by permission.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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