Evening Tithes
A Poem by RomaJ
 The sacred hides in the ordinary, waiting to be mistaken 
coins counted,
cans chosen,
another evening tithed to thirst.
the cooler door
breathes out its cold blessing,
rows of silver sermons
waiting to be believed.
salvation comes in sixes--
cheap, familiar,
a promise that burns
only halfway down.
the clerk doesn’t ask,
just rings up quiet absolution.
change clinks
like communion in his palm,
and the doors sigh closed
behind him.
outside, the street hums
its hymn of engines.
he walks home
beneath its weary light,
the paper bag swinging
like a pendulum,
measuring hours
already lost.
behind one window,
a lamp keeps quiet vigil,
its glow steady,
softening the edges of night--
a silent witness
to small rituals
of survival.
and above it all,
the moon hangs heavy--
its pale gleam falling
on saints and strays alike,
making no distinction
between prayer and thirst.
© 2025 RomaJ
Featured Review
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I think you nailed the hypocrisy between those that seek riches through false religion against those that seek truth through works demanded by the leader of the religion. And that last stanza is just hits the point home. The saints are the ones helping the strays after all. A great write.
Posted 2 Months Ago
1 of 1 people found this review constructive.
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2 Months Ago
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your thoughtful reading and kind words. I’m glad the poemâ€.. read moreThank you so much! I really appreciate your thoughtful reading and kind words. I’m glad the poem’s message about quiet acts of care and the contrast between true compassion and performative piety came through for you.
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Reviews
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Wowzers. Addiction and alcoholism have, unfortunately, been cornerstones of much of my life and thinking of the money set aside as a tithe just hits me in a perfect way. Kudos on a great write. ~Jim
Posted 2 Months Ago
1 of 1 people found this review constructive.
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2 Months Ago
Thank you, Jim. I’m glad that the poem spoke to you in that way. Evening Tithes was meant to captu.. read moreThank you, Jim. I’m glad that the poem spoke to you in that way. Evening Tithes was meant to capture those quiet, often overlooked moments of survival and ritual, and it means a great deal to know that it resonated with your own experiences. Your words honor that intention beautifully.
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I think you nailed the hypocrisy between those that seek riches through false religion against those that seek truth through works demanded by the leader of the religion. And that last stanza is just hits the point home. The saints are the ones helping the strays after all. A great write.
Posted 2 Months Ago
1 of 1 people found this review constructive.
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2 Months Ago
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your thoughtful reading and kind words. I’m glad the poemâ€.. read moreThank you so much! I really appreciate your thoughtful reading and kind words. I’m glad the poem’s message about quiet acts of care and the contrast between true compassion and performative piety came through for you.
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Roma... your extended metaphor is delightful! An important theme and a reason why poetry is so important... but like all the best jewels in our cultural crown, we cast them before swine...
You voice here is strong and dynamic, and your style so simple it becomes elegant... Fine poetry, fine art.
Posted 2 Months Ago
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2 Months Ago
Thank you so much, Vol. Your words truly mean a lot. I’m so glad the metaphor and theme resonated .. read moreThank you so much, Vol. Your words truly mean a lot. I’m so glad the metaphor and theme resonated with you. I really appreciate your thoughtful reflection..and what a beautiful way to describe poetry itself.
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the last stanza is so dynamic and a great closing to the work. I like the way you blended the elements of religion with very common end of the day actions - it gave the events a very spiritual edge especially the "no guilt" demeanor of the clerk - I could almost hear the door of the confession booth swing after the coins dropped in his hand. nice write - carl
Posted 2 Months Ago
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2 Months Ago
Thank you so much, Carl. I really appreciate how deeply you read into the poem. I love how you descr.. read moreThank you so much, Carl. I really appreciate how deeply you read into the poem. I love how you described the clerk and the coins. It’s exactly that quiet, almost sacred ordinariness I hoped to capture. For some, that nightly drink after work turns into a quiet habit of unwinding...a kind of modern communion. I’m so glad the ending resonated with you.
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Loved the pairing of drink and religious ceremony and night is the proper setting for all this. Well done
Posted 2 Months Ago
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2 Months Ago
Thank you so much! I’m really glad you caught that pairing.
You’re right, too. S.. read moreThank you so much! I’m really glad you caught that pairing.
You’re right, too. Sometimes the things we do often enough become rituals of their own. For some, that nightly drink after work turns into a quiet habit of unwinding, a kind of modern communion.
I appreciate your kind words.
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2 Months Ago
You are most welcome my friend
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Fabulous Roma - a perfectly penned insight into a life / lives ruled by alcohol. This is really great Writing no doubt at all. Exceptional ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️
Posted 2 Months Ago
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2 Months Ago
Thank you so much, Red! I really appreciate your kind words. I’m glad the poem resonated and that .. read moreThank you so much, Red! I really appreciate your kind words. I’m glad the poem resonated and that the glimpse into that kind of life came through.
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There but for the grace of God go I. Some people’s daily rituals for survival hang heavy, just like the moon does. If we’ve never walked in their shoes how can we judge? They are only hurting themselves. Finely captured and visually grey on my colour palette, Roma. A wonderful write.
Chris
Posted 2 Months Ago
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2 Months Ago
Thank you so much, Chris. I really appreciate your thoughtful words and insight. You captured the he.. read moreThank you so much, Chris. I really appreciate your thoughtful words and insight. You captured the heart of the poem beautifully. There’s such truth in what you said about grace and not judging what we don’t live.
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RomaJ, this poem had me rethinking the holiness of a liquor store run. And now I’m convinced salvation really does come in sixes. You write with the kind of grace that could make even the moon blush. So tell me, what’s your drink of choice when you’re baptizing the evening?
Posted 2 Months Ago
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2 Months Ago
Haha, thank you, Jansy! I love that image of the moon blushing. As for the evening baptism, I’ll l.. read moreHaha, thank you, Jansy! I love that image of the moon blushing. As for the evening baptism, I’ll leave the ritual to the imagination. You have a charming way with words and I appreciate it.
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RomaJ, this is stunning. A six-pack will never feel the same again. what once was ordinary, now hums with quiet grace. The cooler door breathes in my mind, change clinks like communion, and even my lamp at home will keep vigil in a new way. The moon shines on saints and strays alike, and suddenly, the small rituals of survival feel luminous, profound, and so deeply human. You’ve made the everyday sacred. Truly, you’re amazing.
Posted 2 Months Ago
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2 Months Ago
Thank you so much, Jansy! I love how you’ve brought the poem to life in your reading. It’s wonde.. read moreThank you so much, Jansy! I love how you’ve brought the poem to life in your reading. It’s wonderful to hear that these small, quiet moments resonated with you and felt sacred in a new way. I really appreciate your thoughtful and generous words.
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As human beings, these small rituals happen because of the nature of life itself...a way to cope with the daily pressures and stresses of work and living. This poem captures that beautifully, showing how ordinary acts can become quiet, sacred rituals. The imagery transforms the mundane into something almost spiritual, reminding us that even survival, in its simplest forms, carries a kind of grace and resilience.
Very deep and evocative poem, RomaJ. This is both beautiful and concise.
Posted 2 Months Ago
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2 Months Ago
Thank you so much, Vlue! I really appreciate how you’ve captured the heart of the poem. It means a.. read moreThank you so much, Vlue! I really appreciate how you’ve captured the heart of the poem. It means a lot to hear that the quiet, everyday moments came through as sacred and resilient to you.
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235 Views
10 Reviews
Added on October 21, 2025
Last Updated on October 22, 2025
Author
RomaJ
About
I write poetry inspired by
the surreal landscapes of dreams
capturing fleeting, vibrant moments
that linger in emotion and vision.
I explore the quiet reflections
of my soul’s journey thr.. more..
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