the broken washing machine

my father who turns
eighty three in june
and who won the lottery
a few years ago for
a hundred and fifty
thousand dollars and
tried to keep it hidden
called the other day
to tell me that his
washing machine had
broken down and he was
wondering if i knew
of a good washing machine
mechanic who could come
over and take a look
at it. he said that
he had already wasted
forty five dollars on
it by letting the
handyman who cuts grass
at his condo work
on the motor, but it's
still broken. he has three
retirement checks
coming in on a monthly
basis and hasn't bought
a new pair of shoes
or a shirt in years. he's
never sent a gift or
a card to any of his
seven children.
he never dials long
distance, he waits for
you to call. and he
will die with all of
this hard earned
money. he will pass
away without any of it
being put to good use
towards his children,
his grandchildren or
anyone in this world
that might need
a helping hand. it
may be harsh to say this,
but it's true. he will
never truly get those
clothes clean, not in
his twenty year old
washing machine, or even
in a brand new one.