hard times

honesty is
a thin coat
these days.
worn uneasily
in winters
such as these
when the cupboard
is bare.
tattered, a hole
here and there.
pockets full
of lint,
debris from
days gone by
a dull penny
at the bottom,
hard against
cold fingers.
how easy it would
be to stray
over the line,
to enter that
bank and ask
politely for
a very large
donation
while wearing
a mask.