Lament of the Photo/Grad Student by Christi Foist

So sick of all the late fees
reminders of my
       sloth
       addiction
       habit
       problem
       (ir)responsibility

survival on plastic
feeds appetites alarming
my hunger the monster that stalks
       sanity
       balance
       calm

Like a child I wait till too late
the evidence soiling the sheets
of paper that broadcast my guilt (to me)

DECLINED, such a piercing blue screech,
branding me
       consumer/failure
       student/forgetter

Thus, a blush is a
stain
that I know too well too

Wielding the plastic
to chip at my balance
so next month I'll pay for
this month's groceries
that I charged
to avoid the

LATE FEES

or was it
       clothes
       beer
       mat board
that I so recklessly
bought in the future

child of the (post)modern
cries tears outside time
at this plastic-made world

so lacking the real, bought
with
       sweat
       paper
       silver

or was that the print
that may cost me
more

late fees