two gift cards from Dollar General

once more, i have won

the lottery.

i have been awarded

seven point two million dollars

and a luxurious

white Mercedes Benz

from the publishers clearinghouse.

the man

has informed me on the phone

with glee

that i am a lucky winner.

i sigh.

i tell him thank you,

and ask him which store

should i go to

to get gift cards to pay

the taxes on my winnings.

he tells me Dollar General,

or Kroger's.

Wal-Mart maybe.

he needs

two four hundred dollar

gift cards

to satisfy the IRS stipulations

on such earnings.

no problem, i tell the man,

who sounds

strangely Jamaican,

despite having the name,

David Martin.

i'm on my way now, i tell him,

walking

through a blizzard, with

my sled dogs.

and rifle to shoot off any

wild wolves

that might try to devour me.