8 Fiver
My Grandma had a five pound note
Sewn into the hem of her coat
Just in case, an emergency occurred
that wasn’t foreseen and got her out
of trouble no doubt
The coat was her best, her only one
That she wore regardless of rain or sun
She always wanted to look her best of course
Unless too hot when it was replaced
by a familiar friend, her white cardigan
Unpredictable be the British summer sun
The note was transferred to the cardigan pocket
As if a ticket, receipt or docket
Against any misfortune she may encounter
Always ready to be spent
If heaven became hell’s bent
It was her secret against fates flaws
A ‘get out of jail free’, a rescue clause
To be ready, prepared, was her sacred motto
Who knows what lays around the corner
Best to have some sort of plan, some floating independent fore warner
The note became dogeared, tatty, nearly torn
But still had value the years in pocket did not scorn
It still had a face, a number, a silver line
The day came when it had to be used
To get her home when all routes had been eliminated and perused
It was her disclaimer, her safety against lost
Her note to self, her prophesy against potential cost
She knew she may need it, it would happen one day
When the devil disguised as detail would love to display
His love for chaos, disasters unplanned
And Nana’s note could counteract his demand
The fiver became her good luck charm
It would be there to prevail against any harm
and yet was it a ticket?
or a receipt ready for the potential of self professed doom?
She manifested accidently out of a moment of gloom
It’s a difficult balance between preparation and result
It’s a could be, may be, what if thought
The fiver could last for years without tender
Was it the purchaser or the vendor?
The end result of preparation safely stored as cash
Or the beginning of predictive thoughts becoming facts?
Coz even the years of carrying ‘just in case’
The fiver was worth next to nothing on the day
it was finally called into play
She found it would not even buy her a drink now anyway
© 2026 Jennifer Harris. Free And Alive 555
