lunch money

you see the slip
of paper on the table
in bold black ink.
mortgage, water,
food, gas, insurance.
miscellaneous.
and there are numbers
besides each word.
down to the penny.
all of it totalled
then subtracted from
a number that's under
the heading
income. you feel
guilty and invasive
for taking a peek
at this note left out
in the open. it
makes you cringe,
that even at seventy
the count still goes on.
you put your hand
into your pocket,
feeling the bills.
lunch.