Automatic Withdrawal

The neighbor’s mutt hit a high note at four

and my phone buzzed on the nightstand.

$19.99 for a year of inner peace

I haven’t touched since that Tuesday in October

when the air in my lungs felt like wool.

The screen glows a violent, sharp blue

lighting up the mountain of unwashed socks

and the half-empty glass of water.

It’s too late to sleep and too early to be calm,

even with the premium background rain

I’m currently paying for.