Somer describes what coins mean to her, through rhyme and lyric.
Ode to the Coin
By Somer Athari
This month rather than the usual witty journalistic approach to my articles, (which has been my format thus far) I thought I would try something a bit more artistic. It seems to me that when coins were first discussed in the New World, the beauty and prestige was the most important detail. So, this article will be my personal praise to our ladies and gentlemen who stay immortalized on our coins.
For all of you coin experts that are unaware of the term ode, it is a poem that is written to idealize a person or place, but modern poets have also used this form to idealize inanimate objects and also ideals. I am choosing to not follow the format of the ode for length reasons, instead the sonnet format is more efficient for this piece. Both forms are used to idealize a person, place, thing, or idea.
This month, I give you Ode to the Coin by yours truly. Forgive me if it's not the best poem ever, remember I am only a 20-year-old English Major. Nevertheless I hope you enjoy it.
Ode to the Coin
To the coins who have lived over two hundred years
Through depression, death, disease, war and wear
Liberty you will never show tears
Morgan will always smile without despair
To our woman who will continue to walk
Into the dawn with her flowing gown
Regardless of societal correctness and talk
With armor or not, a torch in hand and her crown
Because of all the men who led our country since called new
Our motto IN GOD WE TRUST will stand tall
With history in every scratch, knick, and color hue
Coins show the strength of a nation never to fall
And to all who made this nation great by knowing what to do
This is really an ode to you.