The account was closed in March

The account was closed in March.

I knew that.

I opened the browser anyway,

the way you open a cabinet

when you're not hungry,

just needing something to do

with your hands.

Typed the password.

Account not found.

Typed it again.

Same twelve characters,

the capital letter in the middle

where no one would expect it,

the number at the end that meant

something once, I don't remember what.

Account not found.

Third time.

The hands didn't hesitate.

The hands were very confident.

The hands had been doing this

for four years and didn't know

about March.

Account not found.

I sat there watching the cursor blink

in the empty field,

which kept blinking

after I stopped trying,

patient the way a question is patient

when you've stopped answering it

but it hasn't stopped asking.