Walking A.T.M. Machine

Summary

The poem "Walking A.T.M Machine" reflects on the extravagant spending of tourists in a host country, contrasting their wealth with the modest means of the locals who serve as their "humble hosts."

Abstract

The poem titled "Walking A.T.M Machine" is a critique of the spending habits of tourists visiting a paradisiac location. It portrays tourists as being perceived as walking cash machines by the locals, who observe them spending liberally on luxuries such as flights, accommodations, and expensive meals. The tourists' consumption of alcohol is highlighted as excessive, suggesting they aim to "drink the country dry." The poem also touches on the expectation for tourists to tip their hosts, implying that even a modest amount, like the cost of a local beer, seems to be too much to ask. The poem concludes by likening the tourists to a "broken hobbling A.T.M machine," perhaps commenting on the unsustainable nature of their spending. The author expresses gratitude to the readers and the platform that shares their words, acknowledging the power of will and desire in the creative process.

Opinions

The author suggests that tourists are seen as affluent by the locals, given their ability to afford expensive travel and leisure activities.
There is a hint of irony in the portrayal of tourists "drinking the country dry," which could imply criticism of their excessive consumption habits.
The poem conveys a subtle expectation for tourists to acknowledge the economic disparity by tipping their local hosts, which seems to be unmet.
The comparison of tourists to a "broken hobbling A.T.M machine" indicates a possible critique of the tourists' unsustainable spending and the strain it puts on local resources.
The author expresses a personal connection to the act of writing, equating it to setting the mind in motion, and acknowledges the support received from the Medium platform and its team.

A Free Verse Poem

The walking A.T.M machine, That’s what we are To those who we visit in paradise With very little Or nothing at all.

Money grows on trees, Well it must do Why else would you have so much? To afford a plane ticket Accommodation expensive, Sit in a restaurant and pay High prices for food. Why, one meal is a daily wage And you have three!

Add to this the money spent on alcohol! You drink and drink, Drink and drink, Like you need to drink the country dry, That’s just what you do!

To go on excursions at a Handsome price just for a day, It’s true our land our sea Is a splendour, Rich in colour, rich like you! Ha!

Well how about a tip for Your humble hosts? maybe the price Of just one of our beers, Not today? You spent enough; No?…

You broken hobbling A.T.M machine!

Thank you for reading. J.

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the desire to write that thoughts acquire speed, the mind acquires words, words become Poetry. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. Frank Herbert and Me.

POETRY

Walking A.T.M. Machine

A Free Verse Poem