Friday was payday

it was a wonderous thing.

this slip

of paper,

a rectangular payment

for work

done

the last week.

manual labor

of some sort.

there it was in your hands.

your very first check

from your first real

job.

you looked

at the bottom

line, the 

dollar amount

and cents

in the box beside

your name,

then read through what

was taken

away.

FICA, state

and local taxes,

Federal taxes,

a strange fee of some kind.

you grumbled with those

around you.

hearing someone say

that the man

was keeping us down.

you shook your head

in agreement,

but just the same,

you folded the check carefully

and placed

it into your wallet,

then took it to the bank

in town.