the long form

you itemize
your taxes. food clothing shelter.
martinis.
you have property too.
most of it is at
your old girlfriend's
house though.
a pair of pants,
dress shoes. maybe a brown
leather belt.
you throw another handful
of change into the bowl,
your retirement donation,
and mark that
down on the form.
you claim several
dependents. your brother
for one, who you listen
to on the phone
complain and complain.
what would he do without you.
you figure there
might be children
out there too, somewhere.
so you take a wild
guess and round off to
eight. close enough.
you sign the paper,
you put it an envelope,
you hope to get a refund
again this year, you could
use it, but all you
can do is sit by the
window and wait.