I just received my three pages of consolidated student loan bills. I slid it under their postage-paid self- addressed envelope; I filed it with the rest of my day.
Whoa! A dry empty bottle of tequila, torn packets of salt from the quick Mart
and a dehydrated lemon. Half a pack of cigarettes, two beers,
a bottle of cooking sherry, and half a bottle of vanilla extract,
(mistakenly taken when I left home). Never did “blow,”
never wanted to go that far from “shore”.
Dog is fine. I’m great, flat broke. Collecting unemployment,
trapped in my electric blanket ‘til Hell stops freezing over.
Salads are good with imaginary tomatoes. Mold can be cut or ignored.
Dog is tired of eating saltines and cheerios though.
Shush up, there’s no cheese for that whinin’.
I know! I gotta’ go shopping! Tomorrow.
Where am I going right now? To check on the sinking oil gauge.
I’m freezing my ass off. Whatever is left of it, at this age.
I still have a smoke and a dog; maybe, a part-time job.
Yup! Somewhere I’m overdue. Yup! Wrong diet, wrong choices.
Gettin’ skinny, depressed, avoiding the Sober Halls;
and most of all, having to avoid time.
It’s alright; I got yesterday’s coffee grinds, a loyal dog, and a couple of smokes left.
Meet me under the envelope.
gillena
February 9, 2020 at 7:32 am
ZQ thanks for dropping by my sumie SUnday and adding your link
(✿◠‿◠)
much love…
LikeLike
Jim
February 8, 2020 at 1:16 pm
How better to spend the winter when you’re broke. Especially nice to have a loyal dog and an electric blanket. We have ours on the bed but haven’t plugged it in yet, probably won’t now that February is here.
..
LikeLiked by 1 person
thotpurge
February 4, 2020 at 10:28 pm
filed it with the rest of my day… meet me under the envelope… totally brilliant lines in this! Terrific write.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Khaya Ronkainen
February 4, 2020 at 12:35 am
This lament sounds familiar. Student life is fraught with its own set of problems, and then there’s unemployment thereafter…phew! Brilliant write, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Myrna
February 3, 2020 at 9:01 pm
Oh I remember those student loan payments. Glad I didn’t drink, smoke or did blow. Still it was hard and it is so hard for graduates today. You captured a sad experience so well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
sanaarizvi
February 3, 2020 at 3:44 pm
I resonate strongly with this one. Evocative write.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Magaly Guerrero
February 3, 2020 at 11:06 am
Thank goodness for that dog. When things get extra tricky, focusing on our blessings–even the seemingly tiny ones–tend to make things a tad better, doesn’t it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rall
February 3, 2020 at 10:15 am
Oh I remember those times…it’s amazing how we got through them With my first pay packet I bought a print which I still have to this day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Marja
February 3, 2020 at 1:29 am
I so loved this “I filed it with the rest of my day.” and “meet me under the envelope”
You expressed the lament of poverty well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
gillena cox
February 2, 2020 at 9:42 pm
Under the envelopes there are a few words left, good that you chose to use them in poetry
A blessed Sunday to you fhanks for dropping by my sumie Sunday
Much💝love
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stranded Tree
February 2, 2020 at 9:37 pm
This reminds me of a time in my own life where I felt I was one step away from the breadlines. A humble time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rosemary Nissen-Wade
February 2, 2020 at 7:05 pm
Was hoping this wasn’t too autobiographical – but I gather from the note after the title that it was a long-past experience. Whew! Yes, I well recall the poverty of the undergrad – but one was young enough to survive it then. (I was able to buy enough mincemeat for me and my cat, pus some lettuce for my greens … and yes, I smoked too, but ciggies were a lot cheaper back then.) You conveyed it all very well; thanks for taking me back. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beverly Crawford
February 2, 2020 at 1:36 pm
As a reformed smoker I feel free to say if you gave up the smokes you’d have $$ in your pocket!! Here’s to better days to come!
LikeLiked by 1 person