The playlist is grayed out now

The playlist is grayed out now,

a list of ghosts I’m not allowed to hear.

The payment method was removed last night,

and with it, the songs you used to keep.

The screen blinks with a red mark,

a small exclamation point next to your name.

The insurance ads are louder than the bass.

I sit in the dark with the phone in my hand.

It costs money to keep a memory clean,

and I’ve run out of ways to pay the bill.

The silence is free, but it's heavy as lead.