I want enough money, only enough to settle up my debts. Pay off the people who demand to be paid off, the people for whom you can measure years as cold hard cash, and then all my obligations will be done. I'll pay this house off and set it on fire. Pack the dog and cats up and drive in one direction until the car dies finally, then set it on fire too and watch it burn. Then we'll walk until we're too tired to walk and wherever we are, that's where we'll be. I will press the restart button and start all over somewhere that I haven't let anyone down, somewhere where I don't know anyone's name, somewhere without mistakes. I'll cut off all my hair, I'll change how I dress, I'll shave every day, I won't have to carry me any more. I won't be me. I'll leave me in one of those fires so no one has to pay for it any more. I will do the slow dissolve and the fade and the short goodbye instead of saying good night a million times wishing that someone would look my way. Sweet dreams.

Photo - N
Words - S