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Suspended Automation

Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬

Written for Living Poetry. Bart claims
that vending machines are under-
represented in poetry and I’m
inclined to agree! Our challenge
is to write a vending machine poem.

© Victoriano Izquierdo @ Unsplash

I fed you my dollar, you ate it with pride,
then sat there in silence, all smug from inside.
F-3 looked appealing, I gave it a shot,
the damn thing spun once and promptly forgot.

You dangled my chips on the edge of the coil,
a tightrope performance, a slow-motion roil.
“Any second” I whispered, still hopeful, still hungry,
but no, you just hung there, as if to taunt me.

I punched in the code for a second attempt,
and you took my last coins with a show of contempt.
Two bags now suspended, just dangling in spite
of my gnawing hunger, disregarding my plight.

Here’s to the machine, unbothered, unmoved ….
it has mastered the art of indifference and proved
that nothing is owed and nothing is fair ….
I walked off snack-less and it just stood there.

NAR©2026

This is “You Keep Me Hanging On” by Vanilla Fudge

Monday Poetry Prompt: Vending Machine

Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated, and may not be used without permission. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.

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