.
busker over there is so badthink he owes me a few dollars out of his hat
last night owes me three hours more sleep
smokers on the lawn here owe me cleaner air
cars owe me a whole lane to myself
plus a few less opened-door fractures on my ribs
X girlfriend owes me like a year and a half back
poetry in Melbourne owes me at least five more
social work another ten on top of that
and a hairline intact
Tony Abbott owes me a whole fucking country
owe my sanity to a bicycle
and myself a bit more self respect
no one is going to collect on those debts
as for that woman coming up to me crying
homeless over my Bento box, well...
‘spose I owed her at least a brief listen to her story
stuck together cluster of excuses that it was
it was also all true, that
you get no centrelink for up to six months
in some cases
and no support without a fixed address to check
doesn't mesh so well with being homeless
these are called poverty traps
amongst fucks to give I know this is all relative
besides buying the odd Big Issue
I don't give money to beggars
any more than I feel the need to feed these birds
but today just this once
reach into my pocket
drop a few gold coins
into her scaly hand
not because anybody is owed anything
just because I think
it's where that money should be
this afternoon
don't care what the fuck she spends it on
'long as it doesn't go to that busker over there
__________________________________________
-Peace
.
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