Net worth and bottom lines,
Paid off houses, and money under the mattress.
Financial security,
He held two jobs,
His son can barely hold one.
They don’t speak Spanish in the home anymore,
The grandchildren went to college and grad schools,
And seem to be happily married.
My father spent all the money on drugs,
I wonder how I’ll pay for his death and departure,
Medicaid and medicare only pays for so much,
Bank accounts and allocations,
Bankruptcy, and my mother finding out the business
That she had her couches on layaway closed,
They had still taken her money the week before.
Lemons of cars,
Cars in garages and other streets to avoid being taken back.
Claw back.
Investment.
He said I could have the lease in one minute because I could fill out a net worth form,
My white husband filled it out.
Routing numbers and direct deposits,
Rent increases and my mother not knowing how to feed us.
Dad stealing the car stereos and money from the dresser.
Taking the old popcorn bucket from the trash at the movie theater,
My grandmother raped by an older white man.
I may have said some mean things to the landlord,
But hot damn, did it feel good.
They had it coming for some time now.